COTA @ DE-00042 Burg Eltz

February 15, 2026
Castle Reference
DE-00042
Castle
Burg Eltz
Location
Moselle Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate
Type
castle
Built
12th
Bands
20m, 40m
Modes
SSB
QSOs
18
Qualified
Yes
Transceiver
Icom IC-705
Antenna
End-fed Half-wave 40-10
Castle Website
https://www.burg-eltz.de

Burg Eltz sits on a rock spur above the Eltzbach, largely unchanged since the twelfth century and still owned by descendants of the original family. A two-kilometre walk from the car park winds down through beech woods and opens onto the castle view every postcard has copied.

Setup

Used the visitor meadow outside the castle gates, keeping clear of the footpaths. Wire into a sycamore, rig on a folding stool, thermos wedged in the grass.

The log

Twenty metres ran strong from the start — eleven QSOs in the first half hour including a loud EA5 and a patient UR. Forty filled in after the band shifted, with a cluster of DL and OK at the end.

Several tour groups passed through while I was on the air. A few people stopped to ask about the radio; one of them turned out to be DJ2-something from Hannover on holiday. Handed over a QSL card and a slice of Stollen.