The Veste Coburg is among the most formidable medieval fortresses in Germany, a great grey mass of towers and walls sitting 170 metres above the town on a thickly wooded hill. It was never taken by storm. Building began in the twelfth century and continued for four hundred years, producing a warren of courtyards, gatehouses, towers, and great halls that can keep you busy for half a day.
Inside, the Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg houses one of Germany's finest collections of prints and drawings — Cranach, Dürer, and Rembrandt all feature prominently. The carriage collection is the largest in the world, and the armour hall is genuinely spectacular. Climb to the top of the Fürstenbau tower for wide views across the Franconian landscape, with the Thuringian hills on the horizon. A covered walkway links the main buildings; the fortress gardens below are pleasant in summer.