We went with a friend's family on a weekend. We let by car from Leimen 69181 and reached there in four hours. A guided tour in English was there at 2PM which we took. A nice explanation and a smooth and comfortable narration while we pass through each hall of the big palace. We carried tiffins like a picinic. It is well inside the town Sigmaringen. All castles in Germany were pictured and narrated inside the palace hall as well. Planning to see other castles can be made with the assistance at the reception. In German they call it Schloss.
The castle is very beautiful from the outside and, on the day we visited, was being used as a back drop for a local wedding. Unfortunately there were no tours in English available but we were told we could tag along on the back of a German tour as unescorted visits were not allowed. The group was very large and noisy and as the cost was 9 euros per adult we decided again a trip into the castle. Very disappointed.
There are translations available via handsets - ensure you arrive well before closing time - 4pm is the final tour.
There were no tours available in English the day we went, so had to try to read the descriptions from a booklet as we followed the tour conducted in German. Then we were chastised by the tour guide for lagging behind! Would have liked to look a little longer at some of the displays especially the armor and weapons room, which had a lot to see. But we were hustled through very quickly to keep the tour under an hour. The castle itself was very beautiful and enjoyed seeing it, just would have enjoyed it more if we had more time to read about what we were seeing.
The home of the Hohenzollerns before part of the family moved up tp Brandenburg to ultimately become Kaisers. The Kaiser Hohenzollerns are long gone but the Sigmaringen Hohenzollerns still live on and own the castle.
What a beautiful castle-both the interior and exterior.It's huge, but you can get beautiful photos from a bridge nearby and get most of the schloss in the photo.We took a private tour from an English speaker, and we marveled at the old weapons, furniture, suits of armour. You can't explore on your own, and we felt it well worth the price of the tour.
After touring Hohenzollern Castle we decided to visit Sigmaringen. It was definitely worth the visit! The castle sits on a rock above the Danube which affords amazing views from across the river or on the castle grounds. Like Hohenzollern, and unlike Neuschwanstein, Sigmaringen has a homey, lived in feel that adds to it's charm. It is a real castle and you can feel it's history through the eclectic mish-mash of eras in the decor. The collection of armour was amazing, as were the Flemish tapastries. The day we attended there was no tour in English, but we found the English book they gave us to have more than enough detail. The German tour guide made a point to explain in English parts of the tour not included in the book. I would recommend this tour over and over, it really was excellent! After the tour we walked into the village to grab a bite to eat at a cafe and then walked back to the car...in the free parking lot! The fact that the town had free parking alone makes it worthwhile!
I have been here many times, as I used to live close by.I think this castle is really worth a visit as you get to see quite a lot rooms. They should offer more tours in English though! The scenery around the castle is already worth to visit, it is really beautiful!
A lovely and wel maintained castle. The guided tour let you familiarize with the past, and relive the lives of the original inhabitants. The arms room is quite impressive and shows how they were prepared for eventual battles to be fought.
Sigmaringen is one of the less popular castles, but a one really worth the visit. It has many stories to tell, as it always has been and still is a property of the Hohenzollern family, who keep it in a very good condition, opened many rooms to visitors and share many family stories. Tip: the castle opens at 9, but you can only see it on a guided tour, and the first one is at 9:45, so there's no point to be there at 9. We took the first tour and we were alone, so you might have a private tour and ask the guide any questions that come to your mind :)