IN A NUTSHELL
WHAT: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschangau Castles (both on
one ticket)
WHERE: Village of Schwangau (right by Füssen on the
German Austrian border)
WHY: Perfect fairy tale castle
WHEN: Any time of year!
HOW: Short trip for those staying in Garmisch. Day
trip for those in Southern Germany.
IF YOU LIKE THIS... Then you should check out
Hohenzollern Castle or the
Eagle's Nest.
MAP IT! |
CLICK
HERE
FOR MY TRIP DETAILS
AND MORE PICTURES
 Neuschwanstein
Castle is Mad King Ludwig's magnificent and most famous castle.
This is also the castle that Walt Disney patterned his theme park
after. With its turrets and mock-medievalism, and its interior
styles ranging from Byzantine through Romanesque to Gothic,
Germany's number one tourist spot is a real fairy-tale fantasy come
true.
LOCATION:
Neuschwanstein is
perched high on a hill overlooking both the border town of
Schwangau
and its sister castle,
Hohenschwangau. For the
purposes of this website, I use the town of Füssen
in place of the village of Schwangau. Both are located right
next to each other, and most highway and road signs only have Füssen
on them.
The castle is an easy daytrip from the nearby city of
Munich, or a cross-border trip from
Innsbruck or
Salzburg. Other nearby
attractions in Southern Germany include
Hilter's Eagle's Nest and the Cathedral of Ulm,
the tallest church spire in the world. Check out our
directions below for further
information on how to get there.
HISTORY:
The castle of Neuschwanstein was built for the
Bavarian King Ludwig II
as a comfortable home above the Alpsee lake and with the Alps
towering all around Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Construction went on between
1869 and 1886, but only about a third of the building was actually
completed.
INTERIOR:
The 15 rooms you see on the tour show astonishing craftsmanship and
richness of detail. The woodcarvings in King Ludwig's bedroom
took 14 carpenters 4 1/2 years to complete. Wagner was a
frequent companion of the King (he had his own room in the castle)
and the castle's wall murals feature highlights from his operas.
HIKING AND SCENIC OUTLOOKS:
The
best view of
Neuschwanstein and a 45m waterfall is from the nearby
Mary's Bridge (Marienbrücke),
which spans a deep gorge. You can get to this bridge by taking
the trail which branches off the road at the foot of the castle.
This trail wraps up and around the ridgeline to a scenic outlook at
the bridge. NOTE: This trail may be closed due to ice during
winter.
The scenery around
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau is
spectacular, and the castle offers a splendid bird's eye view of the
countryside below.
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HERE
FOR MY TRIP DETAILS
AND MORE PICTURES
TOURS:
Numerous local services offer day and extended trips to
Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau from German metropolitan cities.
Neuschwanstein Day Tours from Munich
Neuchwanstein & Romantic Road Overnight Tours from Munich
Neuschwanstein & Romantic Road Overnight Tours from Frankfurt
HOTELS:
Use our hotel finder to get the cheapest rates for hotels in
nearby cities.
Salzburg Hotels starting at $95
Garmisch Hotels starting at $118
Or if you are
looking for someplace special, you should stay at the Hotel
Ruebazahl (http://www.hotelruebezahl.de/en/),
a spa hotel which features direct views of both Neuschwanstein
and Hohenschwangau.
TICKETS:
 You may only enter the Neuschwanstein on a tour (available in English).
You can purchase your tickets for both Neuschwanstein and
Hohenschangau at the information booth located in the valley between
the two castles.
HINT: Be sure
to bring along your student or US military ID cards to get a
discount. Be sure to bring Euros for parking and entrance
fees.
Guided tours
take about 35 minutes, and you will have to walk 170 steps up and
down--a lift is not available. The castle (like Hohenschwangau)
is open daily April to October, 8.30-5.30, November to March 10-4.
You are not allowed to take photographs or videotape the inside of
the castle.
Tickets can be booked in advance by calling (0 83 62) 93 08 30.
Ticket prices run around 8 Euro per person per castle, or 15 Euro
per person for both castles.
CHECK OUT OUR NEUSCHWANSTEIN
INFO SHEETS
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
DIRECTIONS:
From Stuttgart
Take the A8 towards München
(Munich), then turn right on the A7 towards Kempten. Exit off
of the A7 onto 309/310 towards
Füssen.
Turn right at the T-intersection onto 16, and drive into Füssen.
Turn left when you come to the Füssen
pedestrian zone and head out of town. After the bridge, take
the second right at the Y-intersection and follow the road to
Neuschwanstein.
Click Here to map your route to Neuschwanstein!
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PRAGUE
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