As we inched closer to the Neuschwanstein Castle, I couldn’t help but think it looked even more fairy tale’esque thanks to the autumnal hues Mother Nature had dressed it in. Rich yellow, copper and crimson leaves framed the world-famous castle on the craggy rocks, contrasting sharply with the lime green fields below it.
In German, the name Neuschwanstein literally translates to ‘new swan stone’ attesting to King Ludwig’s family’s heraldic-like connection with the graceful animal. When I was a little girl and visited the castle for the first time, however, I just couldn’t get the name to roll off my tongue in the right way. I mistakenly called it NeuSCHWEINstein (Schwein = pig), making the idyllic castle sound more like a pigsty than a regal place. Today, my parents and German friends don’t let me live that linguistic faux pas down.
Wanting to create a private refuge where he could escape public life in Munich, King Ludwig decided to have the Romanesque Revival style castle built not far from one of his family’s nearby dwellings – the Hohenschwangau Castle. Obsessed with romantic ideals and the music of German composer Richard Wagner, King Ludwig incorporated various themes from Wagner’s operas into the castle’s design. In 1869, its construction began. Ruins from Middle Age-era castles had to be removed in order to prepare its foundation. After King Ludwig’s mysterious death in 1886 (which I detailed earlier in the year in this piece I wrote about King Ludwig’s smaller castle – Schloss Linderhof), the still-unfinished Neuschwanstein was opened to the public. Today, it’s perhaps best known as being Walt Disney’s inspiration for the so-called Sleeping Beauty Castle.
The nearby Hohenschwangau Castle – a boyhood home of King Ludwig.
The requisite photo-snapping spot – Marienbrücke, an iron-suspension bridge over a deep canyon.
The swan theme played out on a wooden sign in the forest surrounding Neuschwanstein.
A paraglider with a bird’s eye view of the idyllic autumn landscape.
A pair of Bavarian-themed aprons, and Shawn posing near the horse-drawn carriages that ferry visitors between the village of Schwangau and Neuschwanstein Castle.
Nearby Hohenschwangau Castle on the left, framed by stunning autumn leaves.
Neuschwanstein seemingly dwarfed by a nearby church with a traditional onion dome steeple.
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
- Neuschwanstein Castle tickets can only be purchased in the village of Hohenschwangau at the designated ticket office. Make sure you have a ticket before making the 30-40 minute walk up the path to the castle. (It’s also possible to ascend to the castle entrance by horse-drawn carriage or shuttle bus.)
- Opening times vary by season. Be sure to check Neuschwanstein’s official site to confirm the hours and cost. If you’re visiting more than one of King Ludwig’s castles, consider the Königsschlösser combination ticket, which offers lower rates than if you purchased the tickets individually.
- We purchased day passes (known as the Tagesticket) for the regional Oberbayern bus, which you can easily identify by its bright red exterior. These tickets allowed us to travel from Oberammergau to the Neuschwanstein Castle all in one day. At 9,50 Euro / adult, this pass offers a better value if you want to visit multiple spots in Upper Bavaria in one day. We purchased our passes directly from the bus driver.
- Interested in learning more about King Ludwig? Download the free app Ludwig II – Walking in the Footsteps of a Fairytale King from the iTunes store.
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Filed under: Featured, Travelogues Tagged: architecture, Bavaria, castles, Europe, Germany, Hohenschwangau Castle, King Ludwig, Ludwig II of Bavaria, Neuschwanstein Castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein, Schwangau, travel
