Castle · Hechingen, Germany
Hohenzollern Castle
Hohenzollern Castle is the ancestral seat of the formerly imperial House of Hohenzollern.
Photo: arbyte via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Hechingen, Germany |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Architect | Friedrich August Stüler |
| Elevation | Elevation: 843 m |
| Coordinates | 48.3232° N, 8.9677° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Hohenzollern Castle is known for
Hohenzollern Castle is the ancestral seat of the formerly imperial House of Hohenzollern.
About Hohenzollern Castle
Hohenzollern Castle is the ancestral seat of the formerly imperial House of Hohenzollern. The third of three hilltop castles built on the site, it is located atop Mount Hohenzollern, above and south of Hechingen, on the edge of the Swabian Jura in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name derives from Söller (terrace), from the Latin solarium.
History
Only written records exist of the original Alemannic settlement located for its strategic importance by the tribal leaders. Again, only written records exist of the original castle built during the Middle Ages, in approximately 1040, by the Counts of Zollern. Although the House of Hohenzollern itself finds its first mention in 1061, the castle is first mentioned as "Castro Zolre" in 1267, without any mention of the castle beyond its name, though contemporary sources praised it as the "crown of all castles in Swabia." In 1423 the castle was totally destroyed after a year-long siege by the Swabian League of Cities.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Hohenzollern Castle website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Hechingen |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Stuttgart Airport (STR) |
| Distance from the airport | 27.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Stuttgart Airport (STR) · Stuttgart, Germany · 27.9 miles away
- Karlsruhe Baden-Baden Airport (FKB) · Rheinmünster, Germany · 51.4 miles away
- Bodensee Airport Friedrichshafen (FDH) · Friedrichshafen, Germany · 51.6 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Germany
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Hohenzollern Castle?
Hohenzollern Castle is the ancestral seat of the formerly imperial House of Hohenzollern.
Where is Hohenzollern Castle located?
Hohenzollern Castle is in Hechingen, Germany. Its coordinates are 48.3232° N, 8.9677° E.
How do I get to Hohenzollern Castle?
The nearest town is Hechingen, and the nearest airport is Stuttgart Airport (STR), about 27.4 miles away (straight line).
What is the history of Hohenzollern Castle?
Only written records exist of the original Alemannic settlement located for its strategic importance by the tribal leaders. Again, only written records exist of the original castle built during the Middle Ages, in approximately 1040, by the Counts of Zollern.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern_Castle — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q156457 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.burg-hohenzollern.com — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.