Two true, fairytale castles are the jewels in the crown of the Swabian Alb. Hohenzollern Castle known as the “Swabian Neuschwanstein Castle” was built by King Wilhelm IV between 1850 and 1867 in the Romantic style on the site of his ancestral home. Lichtenstein Castle was built as the result of an “architectural fairy tale” as its design was inspired by the novel “Lichtenstein” by Wilhelm Hauff. It remains the only building of its type in the world.

Most Swabian fortifications date back to the Middle Ages. They were largely used as places of residence and for defensive purposes. Katzenstein Castle near Dischingen is the best preserved example of a medieval Hohenstaufen castle.