August Break: Schloss Neuschwanstein

On By StevenIn International Travel - Inside Germany

I’m on an August Break from my regular blogging schedule. Here’s today’s pictures.

I finally made it out to Schloss Neuschwanstein this weekend, as a Saturday day-trip with Jenny and her boyfriend Robert.  King Ludwig II’s famous castle was the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella’s Castle.  Roughly one and a half million people come to the castle every year, and I think about a third of them were present while we were visiting.

I encourage you to click through to the full sized pictures, because I purposely saved them to be huge and awesome.  I may use one of them as my desktop for a while.  The castle is nestled in the Alps, and it makes the views amazing.

When approaching the castle from the roadway into Schwangau, this is your first view of it:

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Inside Schwangau, there are sections of roadway that are closed to cars- but open to bicycles and horse drawn carriages.  I love that they have signs for this.

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Where a heavy tourism market springs up, so must there be signs.  Lots and lots of signs.   This one tells you that there’s a bathroom 150 meters to the right, and points out ways to reach both castles, the Museum of Bavarian Kings, and the Alpsee (Alp lake).

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This is the view taken from the castle ramparts.  This scene includes the town of Schwangau, the other castle (Hohenschwangau,) and the Alpsee.  Plus a small portion of the Alps themselves.

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Most everyone who goes to Neuschwanstein walks around back to the Marienbrücke, a small pedestrian bridge that looks over the backside.  On a crowded day, the bridge looks like this:

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Fighting those crowds is worth it though, because then you can get these next three shots:

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Have you ever been to Schloss Neuschwanstein?  What’s your favorite castle?

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15 thoughts on “August Break: Schloss Neuschwanstein”

  1. What a chaotic mess that place is! Swarming with people during the summer months! I went for my birthday (August 22nd) two years ago and it was the worst experience I’ve ever had! We didn’t know we needed to pre-order tickets to get into the castle (for the tour) days in advance. That was just maddening. Then, we took an un.airconditioned bus up the hill because it was 90 degrees outside but of course, we were smooshed in there with the usual Europeans who forget what deodorant is. And the rest of the time was much like the picture with all the people on the bridge. After hearing too many Americans and almost zero Germans, we booked it out of there. It’s just so overly touristy that you can’t even enjoy it! What a shame for such a beautiful place. I’m planning on going in the fall when the leaves change and all the tourists are gone. lol. Anywho…wow…I just ranted about that far too long! My apologies!!!

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    1. Going on a weekend in July or August was definitely not the brightest idea I’ve had. I didn’t use the bus to go up, though- from the ticket area to the castle is only about 1500 meters- entirely doable on foot, even on a hot day since most of that pathway is shaded.

      Super, super crowded though. I’d be really curious to see actual numbers of the most visited sites in Germany, to see where this rates. So… many… Japanese tour groups…

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      1. Yeah I’m curios to see that too. This place was just bananas. Totally over it!

        And yes….sooooo many tour groups! I was trying to get on the bus to go back down the mountain and I literally got squished in between a mob of fat Italian men who were bouncing me around off their sweaty bellies. I lost it and screamed a few obscenities and I think they go the point after that. But yes…NEVER again in the summer months. That’s just pure hell served to you straight up!

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      2. Being a silent reader of this wonderful blog for months now, I am finally able to contribute something:
        Voila: Here is the requested list of most visited landmarks in Germany. With Neuschwanstein Castle only ranking on place 5… 🙂 Nonetheless a very interesting list.

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          1. Hey cool, I’ve already been to four of the eight! (With plans for two more within the year…)

            Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog.

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  3. Great pictures! It’s been busy when I’ve been there, but certainly not that bad… wow! You’re a braver man than me. 🙂 Did you guys tour Hohenschwangau as well? I thought that was a very cool castle, and a nice tour too.

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  4. Haven’t been there yet but I’ll make it one day, I’m sure. Definitely not able for crowds like that though! Your pictures are fabulous and I may need to refer people to them the next time I mention to someone I want to move from (flat) Dusseldorf to somewhere down south with a few mountains in the background and get a totally blank stare of incomprehension. Who could possibly want flat and boring instead of those views?

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  5. Looks gorgeous but wow those crowds would get to me! If/When I go, I think I’ll wait until fall or spring and hope for the best. There are some other castles nearby we’d like to see too, and apparently those are less touristy.

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  6. Brian

    Went to Neuschwanstein back in June. It’s a long walk up from the ticket area. The Marienbrücke provides the best views of the castle no doubt. It was windy and cold as all get out on that bridge the day we went to visit. This was my first time ever in Europe. Loved Germany. It’s an amazing country and I definitely have to go back.

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