One family, 33 generations, have owned and occupied this medieval castle since the 12th century - the Eltz family.

Eltz Castle (Burg Eltz) has been owned and lived in by the House of Eltz for over 850 years, spanning an incredible 33 generations. Specifically, the castle is currently owned by Dr. Karl Graf von und zu Eltz-Kempenich, who represents the Kempenich branch of the family. The castle is a "Ganerbenburg," meaning it was historically a residence shared by different branches of the same family. In the past, the Rübenach, Rodendorf, and Kempenich branches each had their own separate living quarters within the castle’s eight towers. Today, the Rübenach and Rodendorf sections are open to the public as a museum, while the Kempenich branch continues to use their third of the castle as a private residence. This continuity of ownership is exceptionally rare, as the castle was never destroyed or captured in its long history, partly thanks to clever diplomacy by the family during the 17th-century wars. When you visit, you are walking through a living piece of history that is still actively maintained by the same family that founded it in the 12th century.