A place where fairytale dreams come from…
Neuschwanstein Castle from Marienbrücke viewpoint
History of Neuschwanstein Castle:
Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th Century historical palace built on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in Southwest Bavaria, in Germany. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria (also known as the Mad King), as his retreat. King Ludwig II loved the opera and works of Richard Wagner and Neuschwanstein Castle was built in his honour.
Neuschwanstein Castle was also the inspiration for Disney’s castle in Sleeping Beauty. However, Disney did add a few elements to create a more mystical feel; the castle itself uses ideas from different eras such as Renaissance, Gothic, and Scandinavian turrets in addition to gothic pointed arches.
In the Midst of World War II, Hitler used Neuschwanstein Castle to store stolen artwork. It was intended to be used in a museum of artwork that Hitler planned to open after the war. The castle was deemed an ideal location for hiding the art, since it was far from the frequently-bombed capital of Berlin, and near the Austrian border. However much of this history is something that the Germans would like to “forget” and so don’t tell you this information during the tour.
(Left) View from Hohenschwangau, (Centre Left) On the way up to the castle, (Centre Right) In front of the main entrance, (Right) View from the top of the castle
Tours:
It is only possible to enter the castle as a guided tour; they are available in many languages including English, German and Spanish for example. And your are available every 10 minutes. The tour lasts approximately 30-45 minutes and briefly explains the history behind the castle. Tickets cost approximately €17.50, they must be bought in advance and must be printed! From arriving to the train station in Füssen to the start of the tour, I recommend leaving about 1hr in between, it gives you plenty of time and also allows you to explore the surroundings. For more information click on the following links:
Information regarding Neuschwanstein Castle:
https://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/tourist/ https://www.hohenschwangau.de/en/neuschwanstein-castle
Tickets:
Whilst you’re there, you are invited to take a further look around the grounds of the castle. There are some amazing viewpoints all around; one most famous is called Marienbrücke - a bridge, dangling over the valley, offers you the most famous and unforgettable views of the castle. This was definitely the highlight of the trip!
How to get there:
Travelling from Munich (as I did), the journey by train takes approximately 2hrs from Munich Central Station to Füssen. From there you can take a 15 minute bus to the picturesque village of Hohenschwangau, just at the foothill of the castle. Then it is a 30 minute walk up the hill to the castle entrance (another bus is also available for €3.50). Take the Bus 73 (direction Halblech) or Bus 78 (direction Schwangau); it is free along with either the entrance ticket to the castle or with the DB train ticket. It is recommended to buy the Bayern Ticket which costs €26 for any destination, any time, to be used throughout the entire day. And what’s better, to add 1 extra person to this ticket, it costs €8 extra! So for 2 people, to travel to the castle from Munich and back, €34! The ticket can be used from Monday-Friday, valid from 09:00 to 03:00 of the following day; or on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, valid from midnight to 03:00 of the following day.
Buy your ticket here and travel around Germany for a great price!
Another place on the bucketlist ticked! Where to next?
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