Wednesday, January 4, 2017

A Day Trip to Neuschwanstein Castle

During my recent trip to Germany I made a Day Trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. It's secluded in the hills above the village of Schwangau. The castle stands majestically surrounded by the Alps and the neighboring lakes Alp (Alpsee). Seven weeks after the death of King Ludwig II in 1886, the fairytale castle was finally opened to the public. In 1869 King Ludwig II of Bavaria build Neuschwanstein Castle in order to cover himself from the public. Today 1.3 million people per year visit the hiding place of the King of Bavaria, even in the summer as many as 6000 visitors thronged these places every day. I visited back in December and it was much more quiet. I hope to show you this amazing castle, surrounding Bavaria as well as some tips and tricks for a visit.



Buying Tickets and Getting Around

Upon arrival in Schwangau you can park your car in one of the 4 parking spots. I chose the biggest one just before the Ticket center. Entrance tickets are 13 Euro and are available only at the Ticket center Hohenschwangau in the village of Hohenschwangau below the castle.You have to get to the castle somehow from down below. Cars and bicycles are not permitted on the roads up hill.

On foot: It takes about 30-40 minutes to walk from the ticket center to the castle (around 1.5 km on a steep uphill road).
By horse-drawn carriage: Departure point: Hotel Müller, Alpseestraße, Hohenschwangau (6 Euro up, and 3 Euro down/ per person)
With the shuttle bus: Departure point: parking P4 (below Hohenschwangau Palace) (this option was not available to me in December, it usually costs 1,80 Euro/ticket)


I got my tickets and waited for a while in a cafe nearby. It was very cold outside, so the warm tea was much needed. I will say though that the prices for drinks and food here are quite steep so make sure to bring some with you. My advice for the traveler would be to get up to the castle way before your entry time (each ticket reserves a special time and language for the guided tour), and wait there. There is another restaurant up there where you can cut the time. But taking shots of the outside is also fascinating.







The history of the castle is very interesting. The guided tour lasts 45 minutes. Neuschwanstein literally means ‘new swan castle’, referring to a character in one of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin the knight that goose. As in the castle in general, you can also find lots of chandeliers and gold-clad statue in Neuschwanstein, in addition, there is a garden surrounded by walls and artificial caves (addmitance to those parts of the castle were not allowed though).

Inside the Neuschwanstein Castle

Photography is not allowed inside the Castle, so I included these two photos from the internet to showcase the inside. Each room is specifically crafted with a story to tell. You can spend way more time inside then the guided tour permits. Unfortunately you can't explore the castle without a tour guide.



Views of Bavaria

From the Castle grounds the most amazing sights of the surrounding hillsides can be viewed. The Alpsee is surrounded by villages, the slopes of  of the mountains dotted with pine trees. It's as idylic as can be. I have to say my drive from Munich to Schwangau was very scenic with many small towns and villages that leave nothing to be desired. I think one could do a whole road trip through south Germany and explore the castles, history and natural wonders.








Back in the valley I returned to my car and headed back to Munich. It was around 3 in the afternoon when I departed and the drive to Munich takes about two hours. From here there are also roads to Austria and Italy whose borders are close by. That's why this castle makes for a perfect day visit. Just make sure to arrive here early in the day (especially in summer and spring when it's most visited). Make sure to come early and visit nearby Hochschwangau castle as well.




Thank you for visiting. Next up will be my travel story from Munich, Germany.

28 comments:

  1. Wohl mit das meistfotografierte Schloss und beliebteste Fotomotiv von Deutschland. Hast du aber auch einen supertollen Tag erwischt, Traumwetter und klasse Tipps sowie Aufnahmen. Danke dass du uns mitgenommen hast.

    Liebe Grüsse

    N☼va

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    1. Fűr einen Wintertag war es wirklich sehr sonnig und warm, ansonsten ist es besser im Frühling/Sommer glaube ich (aber auch mehr Turisten).

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  2. Truly like a fairy tale, brought alive by your beautiful images!
    Yes, I think it is a great time of the year to visit there, the crowds in the warmer season sometimes are nearly unbearable. My poor mother once got stuck for four hours in a stairway leading up to the castle. There was no way to escape in either direction.
    Wishing you a Happy New Year and many great photo adventures,
    Merisi

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    Replies
    1. That doesn't sound like fun, I think I know what staircase you're talking about. Maybe winter time is better or early spring. Even in winter there were still lots of visitors.

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  3. I can see why this place draws so many visitors. It must have been frustrating to you not to be permitted to take pictures inside. And 45 minutes doesn't seem nearly enough time to tour a place like that. Your photos are beautiful, and I'm glad you included those internet photos of the interior.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Linda. Yes I dont see the point if it. They could forbid flash photography so that people arent distracted. My guess us they want it to remain aluting ti visitors.

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  4. We had thought we would visit there last June when we were in Munich, but it was too much of a production to get there from where we stayed especially with no car. Thank you for sharing as its the closest I'll get to it now.

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    Replies
    1. Without a car it's a bit of a hustle but still possible. You can get there by train and bus.

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  5. it is truly a stunning and very fairy tale type castle. love all the pics and seeing it rising up out of the trees and over the homes below...

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    1. Wald Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland after this castle.

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  6. I visited this castle in 2002 and was blown away with it's grandeur. Thanks for rekindling the good memories from that trip.

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    1. Glad I could do that for you. Thanks for your visit Linda.

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  7. Stairs! Lots and lots of stairs! Your pictures make for nice visit, Mersad.

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    1. You bet there are lots of stairs here :D

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  8. Bavaria is such a beautiful place. We visited another of Ludwig's castles - Linderhof - several years ago. Very ornate. Thanks for the look into Neuschwanstein!

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  9. Beautiful place! So many pretty pictures!

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  10. Amazing photo's..... It must be wonderful to travel so much as you do... makes me wonder though, did you ever visit the Netherlands ?

    Have a nice ABC-Wednesday / _ Week
    ♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc=w=team)
    http://melodymusic.nl/abc-wednesday-19z/

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  11. We were there years ago and took the foot route. The pics make me want to go back so much. We spent a month in Europe and visited 13 countries, Germany has to be the favorite.
    Ann

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  12. Lovely as always, Mersad.
    Thank you for joining the party at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/01/church-of-primacy-of-peter.html

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  13. Beautiful castle and countryside. You sure do get around! - Margy

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  14. So beautiful. Thanks a for sharing.

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  15. What a charming setting!

    ROG, ABCW

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  16. What a wonderful place to visit! I've heard it is one of the castles that Disney used as inspiration for Cinderella's castle. I love hot tea and would love to sit and sip while admiring such grandeur!

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  17. Wonderful! Makes me want to travel... if my foot ever heals. It's taking a long time.

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  20. Various tours cover the scenic beauty of the new Neuschwanstein castle leaving the tourists spellbound for 30 minutes. To avoid any last time queues, it is always better to book your tickets in advance! As it includes long walkways, Tourists with disabilities should prepare well in advance!

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  21. Should we plan for a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. It looks pretty nice destination for tourists to enjoy such a lovely day trip here.
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