Neuschwanstein Castle, located in Southern Bavaria is a sight to behold! It is one of the most visited castles in Germany and one of the most popular destinations in all of Europe. King Ludwig II commissioned the construction of this enormous medieval castle in 1869. King Ludwig II grew up very close by in Hohenschwangau Castle (which can also be toured) and had always desired a medieval style castle to live in. King Ludwig II admired the composer Richard Wagner and had him visit his boyhood castle prolifically. King Ludwig II was entranced with Wagner's romantic operas and desired his new castle to align with this romanticism, therefore, much of the interior motifs and murals tell stories of myths and love.
How to Visit Neuschwanstein
To get to Neuschwanstein Castle, located in the village of Hohenschwangau near Schwangau, Germany from Munich you can either rent a car, take a train, or book a tour with a tour agency. By car, it can take nearly 2 hours (one way) to reach Schwangau. By train, it takes a little over 3 hours, which includes a bus transfer in nearby Füssen.
I purchased a van tour from Get Your Guide / Pure Bavaria Tours, which was outstanding. Your guide picks you up at your hotel, drives you to Neuschwanstein and, during the drive, gives you an educational and informative oration about the Bavarian countryside, King Ludwig II, and much more. In addition, we stopped at a couple of towns to and fro, which included a cheese farm where we were able to have a respite in the beautiful countryside to eat local cheeses and meats. I highly recommend this tour. Also, they purchase your tour ticket to go inside Neuschwanstein Castle. In addition, they direct you towards all transportation modes up to the castle. It couldn't be more simple and pleasant!
Where To Go
Neuschwanstein Castle is located near the town of Schwangau in the village Hohenschwangau, high atop a hill. Therefore, getting to the castle requires either a 40 minute walk uphill or, if that doesn't suit you, you may buy a shuttle bus ticket (Uphill trip €3 /downhill trip €2 /return trip €3.50 ) or take a horse and carriage ride ( €8 up and €4 down ).
We chose to take a shuttle bus uphill to Marienbrücke bridge, where we were able to witness a commanding view of the castle. Once at the bridge, simply walk down to the castle (about 10 minutes) and enter the front gates. At this point, you will simply wait for your allotted entry time to the castle while enjoying the views around you. From here you can see Marienbrücke. Marienbrücke (Marie's Bridge) was built in the 1840's as a gift from King Ludwig's father, Maximillian II for King Ludwig's mother, Marie of Prussia, to admire the views of the Hohenschwangau region.
The tour takes about one hour and is a guided audio tour that discusses the history of King Ludwig II, why he built the castle in the style he chose, and much more. They do not allow photos inside the castle in order to leave an element of surprise for newcomers. The castle is furnished in the style King Ludwig II desired, medieval fashion. The very ornate furniture, painted walls and ceilings, and views will leave you breathless.
The only photos I took inside the castle! (above)
Once you are done with your tour, once again, you have a few options to get back down the hill to Schwangau; the shuttle bus, horse and carriage, or walk. For the way down, we chose the horse and carriage ride for only €4. In addition, there are eateries and souvenir shops along the way, just in case you need to take a break. In the first image below (left) is Schlosswirtschaft, an eatery with amazing views, located right by the horse and carriage pick up/drop off point.
Once back in the village of Hohenschwangau, there are numerous eateries, souvenir shops, pensions and hotels. Take some time to walk around and enjoy this quaint and scenic town with picturesque views of Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle in the distance.
Visiting this fairytale place was over-the-top impressive and seeing the majestic and historical castle from Marienbrücke will be forever engraved in my mind as one of the most breathtaking places I've ever seen.
