Fairy tales, king, and queens you named it, all of these describe our impressions of the Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle is located in the mountains of Hohenschwangau near Füssen Bavaria in Germany. It is one of the famous and most visited castles in Europe.
Neuschwanstein Castle was commissioned by the late king Ludwig of Bavaria. With the castles picturesque beauty, it has been told that it was the inspiration of Walt Disney in creating the Sleeping Beauty.
In this article, I will be sharing my epic trip to the castle, discoveries and all the crazy things I've undergone on this trip so be sure to read it till the end.
The trip started in Munich which was my first stop going to the castle and after arriving from my eastern European leg of my euro trip. I was very excited to explore the Bavarian side of Germany where it is home to the best beers and beers and beers and beers. I arrived in Munich bus station and checked-in to my hostel and hurriedly went to Munich main train station to meet a friend who was also doing her Eurotrip.
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| Meeting my friend in Muenchen Hauptbahnhof |
After meeting a friend, I went straight to the tourist assistance center in the station and asked more details on how to get to the castle ( the fastest and the cheapest way possible as I was on a tight budget and on a day trip only). They advised me to get a Bayern Ticket( going to Füssen) which cost around 26 euros for the round trip tickets( I save a lot of money with this). I also decided not to buy the castle ticket(tickets to tour inside the castle) as I heard lots of reviews from fellow travelers that it is not worth the money. I bought the ticket in the machine and I am set.
I waited for my train and it was around 10am when my train arrived and ready for boarding(remember to check the platform number and your destination, which is Füssen). The trip was around 2hrs and the views and sceneries were stunning. I remember we had to change another train( I forgot which town we change train) going to Füssen. Füssen is the last stop for this train route so all passenger are going to disembark (during my visit there were lots of construction to this station).
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| Scenic view from the train |
After the 2hrs trip, I arrived at Füssen. I hopped into the Bus going to Hohenschwangau which was just across the train station. Be sure to secure a spot on the bus as all of the passengers from the train are for sure a traveler wanting to see the castle.
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| Lucky to secure a seat on the bus |
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| The castle from afar |
After a few minutes, I arrived in the town of Hohenschwangau. On the side of the road, I saw a small fountain which locals informed us that the water flowing from those fountains were drinkable and purely mineral water straight from Bavarian Alps. I indulge in it, take a sip and store some in my water bottle. It was refreshing and cold. They also told us that those waters were the key ingredients why bavarian beers taste good.
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| Welcome to Hohenschwangau |
It was lunch time when I arrived in the town and decided to take a lunch. I went straight to the restaurant that I saw first as I was really hungry. I ordered a traditional German Curry Wurst mit Pommes (Curry Sausage with Fries). Inside the restaurant, there were lots of paper money posted on the ceiling from different travelers who visited the restaurant. I also posted a Philippine Money to go with the tradition.
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| Restaurant in Hohenschwangau |
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| Paper bills from travelers around the world |
After having my lunch, I went straight ahead and notice a flock of travelers lining up. Curious about it, I check them and found out that this was the place where they exchange/claim their castle tickets. Since I am not interested in checking what is inside the castle, I skip this and went further straight and found another queue, this time it was a bit longer. There were 2 possible ways to get to the castle. First by bus and the other one is by foot. It was an uphill hike so I decided to take a bus going up and take a walk going down so I can save energy and time.
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| The queue in the bus going to the castle |
After reaching the hill, we were greeted with signs that the Queen Mary's Bridge (Marienbrucke) was closed for renovation. It was the perfect location to view the castle. Even though the bridge was unavailable, there were lots of things to see though it was a really a bummer that the bright was closed.
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| The barricade and warnings of the renovation of the bridge |
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| A map of the area |
There were signs around the area and maps so you wouldn't be lost along the way. I saw a traditional bavarian musician in action. Postcard - perfect views and stunning sceneries awaits you upon walking through the road going to the castle.
A short entertainment
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| Stunning view of the small town |
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| Road going to the castle |
Upon reaching the castle, there were lots of travelers resting. Most of them opted not to take a peak of what is inside of the castle itself. You can still at least go to some part of what is inside of it but it is limited.
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| Tourist outside the castle with a stunning view |
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| At the entrance of the castle |
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| Inside the castle which is accessible by everyone |
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| Inside the castle |
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| The castle from outside |
Going further down under were some spots where you see a different angle of the castle. It was also where the souvenir shops were located and some small restaurant.
I spent around 3hrs roaming around the area, enjoying the views around it until I decided to go back to the town center. The path going down was not that bad, there were cemented roads with signage and wonderful trees and animals you can look around and meet around.
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| Path going down to the town center |
The visit was over for me and headed to the town center. In Hohenschwangau, you can take the same bus going to Füssen and the same train going to Munich.
Upon reaching Füssen I opted to explore the area for a few hours before heading back to Munich.
On this trip, I learn a lot about the history, interesting facts and legend about this castle from the locals I met along the way. I opted not to share it with you on this blog so you will not be spoiled(if you are visiting soon). It is best for you to discover when you are there.
It was not that of an easy trip but It is doable. I was lost several times and language barrier was one of the problems I encounter even though I can understand and speak a little german.
Was it worth the visit?
For me, it is a big yes although I wasn't able to check what the actual view would have been at the Marienbrucke, I still enjoy the sights and everything I experience and did on this Bavarian trip.
Have you been to Neuschwanstein Castle? Share your stories and comments below.
