Though the Eltz family first moved into the castle in the 12th century, they continued making renovations and additions for centuries. As such, it wasn't completed until between 1490 and 1540. The 80-room castle is still occupied today, and looks much as it would have hundreds of years ago.

Burg Eltz, one of Germany's most beautiful and best-preserved medieval castles, contains approximately 100 rooms nestled within its iconic eight-tower structure. What makes Burg Eltz unique is that it was a "Ganerbenburg," or a castle shared by three different branches of the Eltz family, who lived together in separate sections of the fortress for centuries. This arrangement led to the dense, organic "stacking" of rooms and towers that gives the castle its fairytale silhouette. Of these 100 rooms, a significant portion is still part of the private residence of the Eltz family, who have owned the castle for over 800 years. Visitors can tour about 10 to 12 rooms during the public guided tours, including the Knight's Hall (decorated with "fools' masks" to symbolize freedom of speech), the Rodendorf Kitchen, and several ornate bedchambers filled with original 15th-century tapestries and furniture. The castle also houses a world-class Treasury (Schatzkammer) in its basement, which displays over 500 pieces of gold, silver, and ivory artwork, though these are considered display galleries rather than residential rooms.