Afterwards your trip continues to Hohenschwangau where you have a total of four hours to explore the castles Schloss Hohenschwangau and Schloss Neuschwanstein.
Neuschwanstein
Castle of the Fairy-Tale King
Read hear about
King Ludwig II,
the monarch who designed Neuschwanstein.
The setting of Neuschwanstein could not be more idyllic: built on a top of a rugged rock with a splendid view over the picturesque Allgäu, the deep-blue Forggensee, as well as a terrific sight of the Alps.
King Ludwig II was known for his extravagant taste and his effort to retreat to a fantasy world of his dreams. During his lifetime, he built many royal palaces, amongst them Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee.
While the outer look of the palace was meant show authentic style of an old German knight's burg, the interior depicts scenes from Ludwig's favorite Richard Wagner operas such as Tannhäuser, Tristan and Isolde, Lohengrin and the Parzifal saga.
Neuschwanstein is the fantasy of an eccentric King come true in brick and mortar.
If you visit it, you'll be taken into a real-world fairy tale.
Unfortunately due to its high popularity, the castle has lost a bit of its charm, but I guarantee you will
be overwhelmed by the sight.
Usually you will arrive via Füssen to Hohenschwangau, the little village where you buy the tickets for the castle tour. Don't forget to do so before going up, otherwise you won't be able to get on the tour!!
The village consists of just a few houses, most of them catering to tourists, and nothing worth visiting, except for the castle Hohenschwangau (picture below).
Crown Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria and Queen Marie, Ludwig's parents, lived there during his childhood. If you're interested in royal palaces, I highly recommend visiting Hohenschwangau as well. There is a combination ticket for both.
Especially impressive is the "Hall of Heroes and Knights" with a stucco ceiling on pink background.
Ok, back to the Fairy-Tale castle: most people walk up one of the paths, which needs between 25 to 40 minutes and will take you through a splendid landscape with breathtaking views to the castles and the surrounding mountains.
In case you can't or don't want to walk, you have the choice to either take a bus or - very romantic- a horse-drawn carriage.
Whichever option you chose, make sure to be in time for your tour, because if you miss the tour number on your ticket, you won't be let inside with
a later tour!
Another "must-do" is to walk up another 10 to 15 minutes to the Marienbrücke, from where you have the probably best view to Neuschwanstein. It should be called the photo-bridge, because millions of private pictures plus many of the famous postcard and poster motives are taken from here and you will surely recognize the spot once you're there :-)
Enjoy your walk down and if time permits, relax at lake Alpsee before visiting Hohenschwangau palace and
returning to Füssen.
I recommend not to eat here, but to wait until you're in Füssen, a much bigger town, that is a lot less touristic.
Find more information about Neuschwanstein and all other state-owned Bavarian castles here: Bayerische Schloesserverwaltung
You can book all of the following day trips to Neuschwanstein castle online:
 | Overnight Royal Castles Tour - Linderhof, Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein Overnight in castle country on this two day tour from Munch. Your first stop is the elegant Linderhof. King Ludwig's favorite castle, it was built between 1870 and 1879 and modeled on the Petit Trianon at Versailles, France. |
 | Four Day Munich to Frankfurt - Romantic Road, Linderhof, Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein Germany's Romantic Road offers the most picturesque and magnificent scenery on Earth. Travel along this stretch of road on this multi-day tour from Munich and marvel at the delightful spots of the Bavarian region. |
 | Royal Castle of Linderhof and Oberammergau Day Tour from Munich Visit the royal castle Linderhof built by King Ludwig II and Oberammergau, world famous for its Passion Plays and woodcarvers. This popular day tour allows you to enjoy a little bit of a sleep in with a 10:15am departure, before showing you two of Bavaria's most famous attractions. |
 | Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Day Tour from Munich Hidden in the seclusion of the mountains, King Ludwig II built two of his dream castles, Linderhof and Neuschwanstein, the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. See these two extraordinary castles, both testifying to the vision and intriguing state of mind of Bavaria's fairytale King. |
 | Royal Castle of Herrenchiemsee and Fraueninsel Day Tour from Munich Board a boat to travel to the islands of Herreninsel and Fraueninsel on the Bavarian lake of Chiemsee. See King Ludwig II's last castle, The Royal Castle of Herrenchiemsee, and visit the Benedictine monastery located on one of the most beautiful spots in Bavaria. This tour is seasonal and operates from April to October only! |