Neuschwanstein is THE castle which inspired Disney to design his famous castle. It’s easily one of Germany’s top 5 most visited landmarks. You have definitely seen it before…the picturesque white castle with several tall turrets set against the gorgeous backdrop of the Alps next to a deep blue, mountain fresh lake. It has been my dream to visit this castle since I first came to Germany. Nearly five years later, I finally got to see it!
Long story short, I am definitely happy I got to visit this castle. But I love castles. Perhaps it’s because I’m American and we don’t have any, but I normally will go above and beyond to see a castle. My German friends even tease me when we happen to drive by them: “Oh yes, we specifically chose this route just for you because we knew you’d love to see this castle.” As a castle-lover, I have seen maaannnnyy of them. That said, I do believe there are many castles in Germany as amazing as Neuschwanstein, if not better. So I am very happy to have seen another castle, particularly one so famous, but I am also happy that I have seen a multitude of great castles in Germany.
Here are the ups and downs (or ins and outs) of Neuschwanstein:
It is a pain to get there.
Even if you already in southern Germany, you most likely will still have to travel through Munich in order to get to Neuschwanstein (or to Füssen and then to Hohenschwangau). I visited the castle with my friend from Stuttgart, and we met in Munich very early on a Saturday morning to go. The journey with public transit from Munich is roughly 3 hours. If you’re going on the weekend and with a group (1-5), I highly recommend you purchase the Bayern ticket from an automat. The ticket is valid the entire day on regional transport, can be used for up to 5 people, and will allow you to travel from Munich to Neuschwanstein and back in a day (if you go on a weekday, this ticket is only valid beginning at 9am).
The ticket line can be long.
And there are a LOT of people. Luckily we went in the middle of February when most people are not vacationing in Germany, so the ticket line was very short. But it was easy to imagine the many-hours-long line that would be there during summer. You can get a ticket for just Neuschwanstein or a combi-ticket to include either Hohenschwangau (the neighboring castle) or the Museum of Bavarian Kings. Of course, we opted for the second castle – two castles in one day!? I was ecstatic! It is also possible to reserve the tickets online in advance (in this case, however, you must know what time you will arrive at the entrance of the castle for your tour). This link has a way to reserve the tickets online (at the very bottom) – it’s only in German and you must reserve more than two days in advance.
You must walk up hill to the castle.
This one is an up or down depending on how you look at it. It takes about 25-45 minutes depending on how fit you are and how often you stop to take pictures. This time must also be calculated in to your starting ticket time. It’s also possible to take a horse-drawn carriage up to the castle.
Gorgeous views of the surroundings.
At the top you can see the fields and tiny town below, the surrounding Alps, a beautiful bridge over a mountain stream. Unfortunately being still wintery, the hiking path around to the Marienbrücke (Mary’s bridge) was closed. Also unfortunate was the front gate being covered in scaffolding for renovation. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. So we enjoyed the incredible weather, picnicked on our sandwiches from the train station bakery in the warm winter sun, and waited for our tour time to come. Tours are offered in English, German, and a few other languages which can be selected at the time you purchase your tickets.
The tour is surprisingly fast.
It’s approximately a half hour (again, an up or down depending on how you look at it). I suppose the castle isn’t incredibly large and there are so many visitors that it couldn’t possibly be too long in order to accommodate such large numbers each day. Despite its fleetingness, the tour was informative and discussed the life and mysterious death of “Crazy King Ludwig” as well as design, construction, and decoration of the castle. The king enjoyed such luxuries as running water and his own in-house grotto/cave.
There’s a second castle to visit!
And it’s right across the street! This one is a definitely an “up” for castle-lovers like me. Hohenschwangau is the castle of Ludwig’s parents. This castle is a bit older and has some more history than its neighbor. The tour is again roughly a half an hour, but the castle is also smaller than Neuschwanstein.
Do plan some extra time to wander around the town of Füssen before heading home. If you’ve come just to see the castle, you’ll want to make the most of the day by wandering around this typical Bavarian town. Enjoy coffee and people-watching at a sidewalk café or grab some ice cream to sate your hunger as you window shop or peruse souvenirs.
So, all in all, I think (unless you’re castle crazy) Germany has a lot more to offer and a lot more castles to see than Neuschwanstein. But if it’s your DREAM to go there, don’t let me stop you! Just be sure to go in the off season for a more pleasant experience.
Other outstanding must-visit castles in Germany:
– Schlessheim – I haven’t visited this one myself, but it’s also in Bavaria and Matthias and Kent seriously recommend it!
– Schloss Lichtenstein* – essentially a man-cave built onto the edge of a cliff. This tiny castle has just four rooms, but incredible architecture and views. Located in southern Germany, this castle can be a little tricky to get to and is worth a day trip when combined with caves and a fresh-from-the-stream trout dinner. Read more about a day in Honau by my pal Kristen from Travel Hungry.
– Ludwigsburg Schloss* – one of the largest palaces in Europe. I loved this castle so much that I have done the tour three times! The castle complex is enormous and the tour contains fascinating information about the castle itself and life during the time it was used. As the name suggests, it too was built by Ludwig, although I don’t he ever lived there. This castle is one of the many included on the Schloss Card. Pro tip: Go during October when the Kürbisfest (pumpkin festival) is happening.
Schloss Lichtenstein and Schloss Ludwigsburg are two of more than 100 things to do in Baden-Württemberg. The latter is also part of the amazing SchlossCard deal!
– Burg Eltz* – much older than Ludwig’s homes, Eltz is from the middle ages. This castle can be difficult to reach directly with public transit, but if you’re up for a gorgeous hike through the mountainy vineyards of Rheinland Palatine, you’re in for a treat. It’s also possible to visit the Cochem Castle in the same day.
– Hohenzollern* – another fairly famous castle in southern Germany. Only the main floor of the castle is available for visiting, as the castle is privately owned and still in use, and you wear slippers throughout your visit so the floors don’t get scuffed. After the tour, enjoy sometime in the beer garden in the castle courtyard!
(*I have personally visited)
I wanna live like those kings!