05/19/2024
Breathless Moments: Neuschwanstein
Neuschwanstein is the fairytale castle you see on nearly every travel poster for Germany. Set in the Bavarian Alps about 2 hours from Munich it is one of the most visited attractions in Germany. Prior to my visit I had read a lot of reviews saying it was kind of contrived and hardly worth the tour. So I had my guard up and was ready to be underwhelmed. But I must say from my point of view it was well worth the time and fully qualifies as a Breathless Moment.
We were in Munich a couple of days as a leadup to our Danube cruise. We elected to do the trip as part of a full day tour with local tour company Mentor Reisen. It is possible to reach Neuschwanstein on your own using a combination of trains and busses but Mentor provides a much more relaxing experience with a English-speaking guide. Most importantly, getting tickets for the castle tour can be tricky with required time slots and advanced pickup times. Mentor eliminates all that, you just buy your tickets on the bus (cash only) and have a guaranteed time.
Now its true that the castle is not medieval but was built king Ludwig II in the 1800s and, was still under construction when he died, so no one ever really lived there. That said the place is really cool. First off, the setting is Spectacular. I guess if you’re King you can choose the best building site. The castle sits high atop a hill with views across a beautiful valley with mountain lakes and the snowcapped Alps on the horizon. The best view of the castle is from Mary’s Bridge. The bridge is named for Ludwig’s mother (Queen Mary) and crosses 270 feet above a gorge uphill from the castle. You can reach the bridge by hiking up an access road but be warned it is very steep. There is a shuttle bus for a fee that drops you off above the bridge from which you can walk down to the bridge and ultimately the castle.
Up close the castle truly is imposing and you have to wonder how they pulled this off even in the 1800s. Inside it is clear Ludwig was trying to make it look very medieval. I snapped a quick picture of the throne room even though pictures inside the castle are strongly discouraged. Views from the castle to the valley are awesome. But be forewarned the castle tour has lots of stairs and considering how much you had to walk to get there you will get a workout.
The little village below has several good restaurants and is at least pleasant with a number of places to sit to take in the ambiance. My Mentor tour included a visit to another of Ludwig's palaces Linderhof which I’ll save for a later posting. To contact Mentor Reisen for tour information see www.mentor-reisen.de.