Another layover in Munich, Germany means another exciting adventure! This time around, a colleague of mine and I decided to make the two hour trek to the town of Füssen, to see one of the most visited castles in the country: Neuschwanstein!
It was super busy and we couldn’t spend much time there because of our early morning arrival and the significant distance from Munich, …BUT it was totally worth it!!!!!
A bit of history for you- Neuschwanstein Castle was commissioned in 1869 by King Ludwig II, at a time when castles were no longer built for strategical and defensive purposes. This is why it was constructed with what was considered to be “state of the art technology” for its time. Toilets, for example, had an automatic flushing system and an air heating system was installed that spanned the entire castle.
Originally, it was going to take three years to build. With Ludwig II’s perfectionism, it was not yet completed by his untimely death in 1886 and remains unfinished to this day.
Visitors are permitted inside the castle, but retrieving tickets is a challenge. We went during the high season (July-September), meaning admission sells out online well in advance. This didn’t bother us too much though, because the most extraordinary thing about the castle is the surrounding landscape!
Located on the top of a hill in southwest Bavaria, Neuschwanstein Castle is perfectly positioned overlooking the Hohenschwangau valley. With its white limestone façade and deep blue turrets, it is rumoured that Walt Disney himself used it as his inspiration for the castle in the Disney classic, Cinderella, as well as for Sleeping Beauty‘s castle in his Disneyland California theme park. Disney did, after all, visit Neuschwanstein prior to its construction and the resemblance is uncanny!
There are many trails that you can take up and around the castle, but my favourite view was just past the Marienbrücke (Queen Mary’s) bridge. It is accessible via a shuttle bus, horse-drawn carriage or by foot. Be advised that during high season, there is usually a lineup to use it. Once you cross over to the other side though, no one is there- an Instagrammer’s paradise!
Following our visit to the castle, we ate at Allgäuer Stüberl Restaurant Cafe at the base of one of the trails to grab some traditional Bavarian eats. Needless to say we weren’t disappointed, and slept on the train the entire way back to Munich!
If you’re looking for tips on how to get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, or for more information on purchasing tickets, I highly recommend you read The Wallet Diet’s step-by-step guide.
In our experience, we took the train to Füssen from Münichen Hbf (2 hours, approximately €40 or $46 US) and from Füssen, road bus 78 (outside of the train station) to the base of the hill where the castle is located.
Let me know what you think in the comments below! Would you make the journey to Neuschwanstein Castle?
Next stop: Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩
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Disclaimer: My posts are my personal views and and do not represent the views of my company.
