A trip to the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle
In May 2019, I was on a road trip around Bavaria (Germany). During this trip I had the opportunity to see two castles of Ludwig II of Bavaria.
We saw the Neuschwanstein castle as the first one (Neuschwanstein castle, German Schloss Neuschwanstein) and the Linderhof Palace as the second. If the building in the photo looks familiar to you, you don’t think so and you have a good memory. The castle was the inspiration for Disney when creating the sleeping Beauty’s castle.
Neuschwanstein Castle area (Beauty of Alpine peaks)
Spis treści
Most, if not all tours, stop at a car park overlooking Hohenschwangau Castle in the distance. This building also belonged to the rulers of Bavaria, but we were not supposed to visit this castle on this trip. This castle is on the other side of Neuschwanstein. Theoretically, you can visit both of them in one day, but you have to plan it well because it may turn out to be too tiring.
Castle Location – Where Neuschwanstein is located
How to get to the castle from the parking lot!
There are two ways to get to Neuschwanstein (a new swan because this is how the name can be translated from German) from the parking lot.
- take a carriage (I don’t know how much is the fee)
- or go on foot.
I went on foot with a girl with whom I shared a room and with a few other people. It took us some time, but it was worth it. Going up on foot to the fairly high mountain was not easy – the route for the cab is less than a hundred. I must admit that we probably got the trails a bit confused (the pedestrian road and the carriage route). Both routes intersect in several places.
We went to the castle in the morning, which was a great step for many different reasons. Firstly, there are fewer tourists in the morning, and secondly, the weather. That day, because only until noon was beautiful weather. Around noon it started to rain and so the next days passed (waterproof photo equipment would come in handy). The weather was nice though.
Attractions in the area
The carriage does not reach the castle itself – it is probably too steep. In the place where he stops there is an organized point with benches (for rest) and gastronomy. Some of the people in one decided to eat lunch here. I was just tempted by a nut pretzel. I have never seen pretzels so large and in such flavors.
Marienbrücke and the view of the castle
The Marienbrücke bridge is within easy reach of Neuschwanstein. Every year, thousands of tourists take a photo of Neuschwanstein Castle and the valley below it. You have to queue to get on the bridge! Usually there is a large number of applicants. I guess they were afraid of accidents because it is quite high up there. There is a place on the other side of the bridge from which you can also take great pictures of the castle but I didn’t get there. It was getting late and it was time to go back to the castle.
Visiting the castle important information
Tickets to the castle are by the hour – or at least that was the case with my trip. The guide spoke English. Unfortunately, there are no tours in Polish. The second language of the tours is German!
Neuschwanstein was never really finished! The same is true of almost all castles of Ludwig II of Bavaria. The only finished castle is Linderhof – Neuschwanstein Castle is said to be practically empty to this day. This means that there is not really a lot to see, a courtyard, a few rooms, a kitchen and you can go out (I skipped the souvenir shop). The tour itself lasts maybe up to an hour!
I didn’t take pictures inside the castle. Therefore, all the photos below show the castle and the surrounding area.
Do I recommend a trip to this castle?
Definitely YES, the castle is beautiful. Inside, it has never been 100% finished, but it is still impressive. I will be happy to come back here in the future. It is worth remembering that you must go to the castle as early as possible. Otherwise, it can be difficult to take a picture of yourself on the Marienbrücke bridge from where you have one of the best views of the castle.
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