Germany, Castle by Castle

A.  When it comes to the relative merits of German castles, there seems to be little agreement, although on one issue there's no dispute: You are the coolest grandmother ever, bar none.  And according to Astrid Baur, who has one of the coolest jobs ever, having given castle tours for the past eight years, her hometown fortress should be stop No. 1.  Of course, Baur grew up in the Bavarian town of Fussen, literally in the shadow of Neuschwanstein, Germany's most famous castle (the ones in the Disney parks are Neuschwanstein knockoffs), a 19th-century structure built by King Ludwig II.
 
"It's also the most visited castle in Germany," Baur said, "but it's not a typical one. Castles were typically built to protect whoever was living there, but this one was for a mad king who wanted to dream and get away from people."  For bona fide dungeons and faint echoes of derring-do, she recommended the castle at Marksburg on the Rhine River.  Most castles that would capture a 14-year-old's interest date from the 12th and 13th centuries, and almost all have been at least partially destroyed in the years since.  "But they couldn't get to Marksburg, so it's exactly as it was 800 years ago."
 
"Another Rhine one which is absolutely marvellous is Eltz," Baur said of a pristine fairy-tale structure surrounded by thickly forested terrain, not to mention the occasional spooky mist.  "And of course Heidelberg castle" on the Neckar River, which has sustained enormous damage over time but still possesses a lovely moat and knights' hall.