The ruins of Ehrenberg Castle in the Austrian market town of Reutte are one of the most important fortress ensembles in Central Europe. It is a popular destination near Grainau. There are several attractions available here, especially for families: the medieval fortress with four different structures, the impressive 406 m long highline179 suspension bridge, the Museum of Knighthood and much more. Especially in winter time, Ehrenberg shines in a fairytale blanket of lights — that's how you imagine winter in the Alps!

On short winter days, darkness comes early; the beautiful lighting should come on before 17:00. We want to visit the Knights' Museum and have a coffee beforehand, so we set off in Garmisch at 1:30pm and take the picturesque route across Lake Plansee. Unfortunately, the weather is not particularly nice, it is rainy and foggy. But even in such weather, a day can be wonderful and so we will end the evening at the Ehrenberg Therme in Reutte without further ado.

Photo © Dominik Somweber - Reutte Nature Park Region

2:00 p.m.: Surrounded by mountain forest, the narrow Plansee road snakes through the riverbed and impresses with its beautiful nature at any time of the year. To get on the road, just after Ettal, turn left towards Linderhof. Via Graswang and past Linderhof Castle, you cross the Austrian border to Lake Plansee. It's worth taking a short stroll along the lakeside here. In cold drizzle, we are the only ones who dared to go on the trip today. The lake area is still ice-free and the deep rain clouds, as if carved from lead, are reflected in the cold ice-grey water — what a fascinating winter picture! But that's enough now — we get back in the warm car and in a quarter of an hour we'll reach the turnoff to the Klause Arena at the foot of Mount Ehrenberg.

2:30 p.m.: After we have received the tickets at the visitor center, it's time to go to the museum, which is located in the rooms of the former castle manager. By the way, the rooms are not heated and therefore quite cool in winter. Here, the virtual knight Rüdiger takes us through the 14 rooms, which interactively present various topics from medieval times. In the past, Ehrenberg Castle was an important military object in the northern Tyrolean foothills of the Alps and also a customs post between the northern and southern trade routes. Here we learn interesting facts about the castles and the people who lived there, the travels of crusaders and traders, the plague in Europe and much more. We're even trying on the old helmets, chainmail, plate armor, swords and spears! The museum is a real treasure trove for children, who can solve tasks and puzzles here — it definitely won't be boring.

Just as at our Werdenfels ruins in Garmisch, you can witness the long history of recovery and further decay here on Ehrenberg. Built from 1290, Ehrenberg Castle had its good and bad times over the centuries until it had to be used as a quarry in the 1800s, similar to the Werdenfels ruins. The rescue of the Ehrenberg ruins began in 2003, and since then the fortress ensemble has been the focus of an impressive renovation and research project. The building and castle researchers are trying to reconstruct the original appearance of the object. For archaeology fans, Ehrenberg is an absolute must-see!

4:00 p.m.: When we leave the museum, it is still light outside. This gives us time for a quick stop at the historic Salzstadel restaurant, where we treat ourselves to a hot chocolate with plum cake before the festive lights are switched on. The cake was delicious and the menu looks excellent — it's definitely worth coming back again and again. But now twilight is coming and we are looking forward to the castle ruins.

4:30 p.m.: We take the Ehrenberg Liner inclined elevator to reach the castle. The ticket includes an ascent and a descent. In the dark, countless lights and figures glow on the mountain and also in the valley, which magically transform the place into a winter fairy tale. As the liner leaves the first few meters in altitude, we admire the idyllic view through the panoramic window with the old farms below and the illuminated suspension bridge above, surrounded by the snow-covered mountains. At the mountain station, you go through the portal for a steep climb to the castle ruins.

4:45 p.m.: At the entrance, we discover that a terrible incident has happened in the castle: the dragon Firemouth, which is supposed to protect the castle and the surrounding forest from villains, has had the magical dragon crystal stolen. Together with the virtual knight Rüdiger, we go on a search. It will certainly be the best search this winter season, as the magnificent light installations will accompany us on this journey with fascinating stories, interactive glowing objects, movement and music. From the grandiose battle between fire and ice to the enchanted forest with its deer to the tree of peace, the exciting winter fairy tale unfolds before us until we finally discover the dragon Feuermaul with its dragon crystal. We would only have imagined the crystal to be more beautiful — but this is certainly due to the fact that Instagrammers use it as a photo platform.

5:30 p.m.: Then it's off to the famous highline179 suspension bridge, which connects the ruins of Ehrenberg Castle with Fort Claudia at 114 m above sea level. Since 2014, the highline179 has been considered the “longest Tibet-style pedestrian suspension bridge” worldwide and has therefore been included in the Guinness Book of Records. The valley has now been covered with fog and the bridge looks a bit dangerous after the lanterns emit a blurred red light and the rest of the course disappears into fog after 50 m. A lively wind blows through the valley and the wet winter evening feels even colder. My friend gets dizzy just looking at it, so I take a short walk alone to Fort Claudia and back to get warm. Due to the grate under my feet, the cloister glows in the depths. The bridge looks very sturdy, only when taking pictures do you notice that even the steps of a single person cause it to shake slightly. My freezing is then rewarded with a great view of the fortress and the bridge.

Photo © Rolf Marke - Reutte Nature Park Region

18:00 o'clock: After the long walk, it is slowly getting cold and we are looking forward to our car again, which will take us to Reutte in just a few minutes. At the thermal spa, we buy two 3-hour passes and soon enjoy the view of the illuminated castle ruins from the outdoor pool until they completely disappear into the fog. It's a pity that there is no starry sky today. But three infusions and a light dinner at the salad bar make for a perfect end to today's “bad weather day.”

The trip to Ehrenberg and Reutte is a recommended company at any time of year and is easy to combine with the other attractions — for example with a visit to Oberammergau or Linderhof Castle. In summer, you can swim in Lake Plansee or go hiking in the Ammergau Alps; the other local castles, including Fort Claudia and the fortress on Schlosskopf, are open. On bad weather days, wellness is the order of the day at the Ehrenberg Thermal Spa. In winter, Ehrenberg creates the best Christmas atmosphere — especially with the beautiful Lumagica Light Park, which will remain open until 26.02.2023 and will be rebuilt again and again over the next five years.

Tips & info:

• Ehrenberg & Klause Arena - Website / LUMAGICA Light Park
• LUMAGICA at Ehrenberg Castle - Online ticket sales
• Alpentherme Ehrenberg Reutte in Tyrol - Website
• Arriving by public transport: With Regionalbahn Can you get from Grainau train station to Reutte in Tyrol in 50 minutes
• Arriving by car: From the Hotel am Badersee, you can either drive directly to Reutte via the Fernpass near Lehrmoos, or the picturesque route across Lake Plansee is recommended. This can also be easily arranged as a circular route.
• The trip to Reutte is also easy to do in summer by motorbike. A kiosk with ice cream, drinks and snacks is available at Lake Plansee, or you can go to the Ammerwald-Alm Stop off. The route runs across mountains, lakes and rivers. For the return journey, you can take the picturesque winding route across the Lech Valley, Heiterwang and Ehrwald.
  

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