Hohenzollern Castle (Germany)

The Hohenzollern Castle is a castle about 50 kilometers south of Stuttgart, it is' considered the seat of the Hohenzollern family.

The castle is located on top of Mount Hohenzollern at an elevation of 855 meters above sea level, 234 m above Hechingen and nearby Bisingen, both located at the foot of the Swabian Alb. It was built in the early part of the 11th century.

The castle was completely destroyed after a siege that lasted 10 months in 1423 by the imperial cities of Swabia. A second, larger and sturdier castle was built 1454-1461 and served as a refuge for the Hohenzollern the end of the 18th century, he became aware of the loss of what was its strategic importance and gradually fell into disrepair, with the consequent demolition of some dilapidated buildings. Today the medieval castle remains only the chapel.

The third version of the castle, which is the one we see today, was built for Frederick William IV of Prussia between 1846 and 1867, under the direction of Friedrich August Stüler, who based his project on a neo-Gothic style, the same that we find in the Loire Valley castles. Although the castle was built as a family memorial, no member of the Hohenzollern family took up residence there until 1945, when it became the seat of the Prussian Wilhelm, the last crown prince. Today both he and his wife, Princess Cecilie, are buried there.

Among the historical finds of Prussian history contained in the castle we find the Crown of Wilhelm II and some belongings of Frederick the Great, a letter from US President George Washington thanking Baron von Steuben, a scion of the House of Hohenzollern, for his service in the American Revolutionary war. The castle is now a popular tourist destination. Those who visit it remains fascinated by its beauty and especially from its dominant position which makes it seem suspended in midair.