Fancy being a Lady of the Castle for a night? Joining in a jousting tournament? Taking part in a medieval feast? Youth Hostels make it all possible. Without making old and new contradictory: More than 30 old castles and stately homes have been transformed into modern Youth Hostels. Behind historic facades, you will often find state-of-the-art interiors, rooms with en-suite showers and toilets, a cosy cafeteria and common rooms that leave nothing to be desired.

This castle is a truly historic place to stay. It was from here that the very idea of youth hostel associations was to spread around the world. Richard Schirrmann founded the Youth Hostel Association here. Enjoy the unique atmosphere this castle has to offer. In the English-speaking world, &uot;Colditz Castle&uot; is something every school pupil has heard of and it is important to visit it at least once. The castle owes this high degree of recognition to its legendary prisoner-of-war camp during the 2nd World War. Located in the historic Burg Stahleck Castle, which dates back to the 12th century, and offering unique, fascinating views across the Rhine Valley, the modern Bacharach Youth Hostel is world-famous. Unbeatable. The historic walls of the romantic Grafenschloss castle are home to the highly modern Diez Grafenschloss Youth Hostel, which towers high above the river Lahn. The rooms and castle bistro have been lovingly restored. Winding streets lined with proud half-timbered houses, and the Grafenschloss taking centre stage - this is exactly how the town of Diez an der Lahn wants to be seen by those who come to visit.

Modern accommodation behind ancient walls

Using them as Youth Hostels helps preserve these heritage buildings, some of which are centuries old. Among them are medieval fortresses with battlements and towers, such as Burg Altena or Burg Stahleck/Bacharach (Rhineland-Palatinate). The Saxon Schloss Augustusburg Youth Hostel and the new European Youth Hostel at Colditz Castle dwell in stately homes from the renaissance era. Schloss Ortenberg (Baden Württemberg) or Coburg Youth Hostel (Bavaria) are picture book castles in neo-gothic style. Some of the time-honoured buildings tower high above the city, such as Veitsburg Youth Hostel in Ravensburg (Bavaria). Some of them are located above a river valley, such as Burg Wildenstein Youth Hostel on the Danube or Burg Rothenfels Youth Hostel on the Main. Sometimes they are surrounded by idyllic landscapes, such as Burg Breuberg Youth Hostel (Hesse), sometimes by a moat, such as the Wasserburg Youth Hostel in Heldrungen in Thuringia. Others again are located centrally: Wittenberg Youth Hostel (Saxony-Anhalt) is located in the city palace and Bautzen Youth Hostel (Saxony) in the bastion of the old town fortification.

Dating back to the 13th century, the castle complex is located on a rocky outcrop above Bilstein in the Sauerland. Wewelsburg Youth Hostel is located on the edge of the village of the same name, in the district of Paderborn. Ancient vaults, thick walls - sleep in a real castle and enjoy the best Youth Hostel standards at Nuremberg Youth Hostel! You can look forward to staying in a fully refurbished Hostel in the imperial stables (Kaiserstallung) of the 500 year-old castle. At the heart of Nuremberg's landmark, in the city centre and centre of Franconia. This is a place where modernity and a historical setting strike the perfect balance. The Youth Hostel is located in the historic fortress grounds of Ehrenbreitstein, offering incredible views across the Rhine and Moselle Valleys. The city is located at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle, and is a gateway to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage Site.

Knight-time travel

Many Youth Hostels in historical settings offer exciting programmes with an experiential-education approach for families and groups. In Burg Trausnitz Youth Hostel in Bavaria, for instance, families can book "Time travel to the Middle Ages" or experience "Knight Life in the Castle" at Passau Youth Hostel. In the Wasserburg Youth Hostel in Heldrungen, "A Place for Learning: History" makes the past experiencable for youngsters.

The Youth Hostel is housed inside the Wewelsburg, a triangular castle built at the beginning of the 17th century. The castle can be found in the village of Wewelsburg (population: approximately 2500). Who wants to live in a castle? Burg Wildenstein Youth Hostel sits on a rock high above the Danube, about 2 km outside the municipality of Leibertingen.