 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.
The castle is
perched high on a hill overlooking both the border town of Füssen
and its sister castle,
Hohenschwangau.
The castle was built for the
Bavarian King Ludwig II
as a comfortable home above the Alpsee lake and with the Alps
towering all around the castle. Construction went on between
1869 and 1886, but only about a third of the building was actually
completed.
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.
The best view of the castle 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 the castle is
spectacular, and the castle offers a splendid bird's eye view of the
countryside below.
TOUR:
You may only enter the castle 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.
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 the
castle.
Click Here to map your route to Neuschwanstein!
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