We made a special stop to visit Neuschwanstein Castle during our 16-day European adventure through the Alps. This place wasn’t exactly on the way but it wasn’t not on the way either.
In fact, Neuschwanstein Castle isn’t very convenient to anywhere, sitting on the edge of Bavaria Germany butting up to Austria. But that was what King Ludwig intended. After spending two days and one night at the foot of this creation, we understand what he was going for.
King Ludwig II himself is a fascinating person. Appreciating Neuschwanstein Castle is nearly impossible without also understanding who he was, his life story, and why the castle is even here in the first place.
King Ludwig is called the Swan King (which is what the ‘schwan’ you hear all over this area as well as all the swan statues are about) and also occasionally called “Mad King Ludwig.” He became king in 1864 at the age of 19 and died under suspicious circumstances at the age of 40, in 1886.
Perhaps not surprising, growing up as a royal German heir wasn’t cozy and coddling. His parents were distant and he had an education that was full of stress and pressure. But he grew up in nearby Hohenschwangau castle (which is open for visitation and can be seen from Neuschwanstein) and by all accounts loved it.
It is generally believed and accepted today that he was gay – and at a time when that was unacceptable, particularly when a primary goal of a monarch was to produce a male heir. When Ludwig ascended to the throne, however, he was very popular. He was good-looking and he loved art, theater and architecture.
Alas, his passions were expensive. Although he paid for his pet projects (such as Neuschwanstein) out of his own money and took on personal debt, the optics were bad and most people didn’t know the financial model. He also became more isolated as his reign went on. He became increasingly distrustful of his cabinet and advisors (although it turns out there may have been a reason for that), and spent more time and resources on personal pursuits.
This led his cabinet and advisors to call him “mad” and incompetent.
Ludwig was taken into custody and deposed on June 12, 1886, but the next day he and his doctor were found dead on the grounds of Berg Castle. Leadership at the time said it was suicide. But that’s been loudly discredited by a lot of people, including at the time. The truth, however, remains unknown. A sudden heart attack from cold water? A murder?
There are many theories, no proof.
Understanding all of this, contemplating the brilliant, creative, tortured man being plagued by the cutthroat politics that accompany monarchy, is key to knowing what Neuschwanstein Castle is.
It is someone’s daydream. It is a refuge. It is hope and beauty and a vision for what the world could be. It is an escape and a sense of joy.
When I walked alone at night, in the dark, to the view point, the wind rustling my pajamas, no other tourists in sight, I could hear the cowbells from the valley below. I could hear the river consistently traveling with lightness and glee. And nothing else. Nothing. I was alone in the blanketing forest while a twinkling wedding cake castle produced turrets up to God through the inky night.
I got it: I got what King Ludwig II wanted for himself, what he built. He built his own peaceful heaven. And it is remarkable.
How to Visit Neuschwanstein Castle
To be fair, during the summer this is hardly what one would call a peaceful place. Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Europe. 1.4 million people come here each year, and that can lead to 6,000 people a day visiting Neuschwanstein Castle.
Planning ahead is really important to make this visit a success. Don’t wait or plan to do this on a whim during peak season (summer) unless you are fine with lines. But do know that tickets to visit the castle sell out. I would not come to Neuschwanstein to see the castle without a prepurchased ticket during the summer.
Read all our tips below to make sure you can enjoy your time here (since, after all, you traveled all the way to the Alps and a small town in Bavaria to see it).
Table of Contents
Where to Stay
Our top tip: stay near the castle! Spend the night in the area.
Most people come to Neuschwanstein as a day trip, particularly since it is easy to get to from Munich via train. (Read more about how to do that in this blog post.) This means the area absolutely floods with people during the height of the day, especially during summer. But it empties out in late afternoon.
We stayed at Schlossrestaurant Neuschwanstein, which is right at the base of the castle. This is not luxury lodging. Think more dormitory or hostel. Some of the rooms have private bathrooms but some of the rooms share showers and toilets (all rooms have sinks).Â
There were quite a few families staying here and it does book to capacity early (so if you want to stay here, book early.)
The price, however, was very reasonable, particularly for the area, and very clean. No air conditioning, but windows that open up. The staff was incredibly friendly. Parking is free. The hotel offers free breakfast that was filling and tasty!
The best part: as we were guests at the hotel, we were able to drive past the guard station and right up the huge hill that everyone walks up to get to the castle (well, once we found our entry spot since Google maps was not accurate). We were so close to Neuschwanstein Castle and it was magical to see it in all lights and at all times of day.
Staying here also meant that taking one of the very first tours of the day was easy. We walked the grounds and up to Mary’s Bridge in the twilight hours, after all the day trippers were gone, and were there with only a handful of other visitors.Â
At night, we were able to sneak out in our pajamas and walk the quick distance to the viewing area and experience Neuschwanstein at night.Â
Staying where we did, allowed us to really experience what Neuschwanstein is.
(Füssen and Hohenschwangau are fun towns to visit, too, if you stay overnight, and we’ll be sharing posts on those soon, so stay tuned.)
Where to Eat
There are a lot of visitors that come here each day and not many restaurants, so dining options, particularly in the town of Hohenschwangau, can be crowded. If you can, if you are a day tripper, pack a picnic.
We enjoyed the brats stand that sat near our hotel, over halfway up the walk to the castle. The brats were delicious and the pretzels soft and warm.
We also had dinner at the restaurant attached to our hotel (the Schlossrestaurant Neuschwanstein) and enjoyed it. It was classic Bavarian cuisine and cold beer. But it does close early! We did have better execution of food down in Fussen at a local restaurant, but this spot worked for us at the time we needed it.
We did avoid the cafe inside the castle. It was expensive (and was cash only).
Around Neuschwanstein Castle Grounds
It is a one mile walk up a steep hill to get from where the buses drop off in Hohenschwangau up to the castle and entrance (30-40 minutes of walking). There are horse drawn carriages for rent that will take tourists up the hill. There is a shuttle bus system that will deliver you 500 meters above the castle (which requires a walk down). The shuttle bus costs money, and it is more money to ride the bus up than down.
We noticed most visitors rely on their own two feet and stamina to make the trek up the hill.
This is not a particularly friendly venue for travelers with mobility concerns or disabilities.
There is no fee to walk the castle grounds, and they are lovely (particularly after the day trippers clear out). The trails are well groomed, maintained and, in that typical Alps way, marked.
If you spend the night at the base of the castle or in Hohenschwangau, considering walking the grounds. It is a wonderful way to see the castle from a variety of angles and to experience the serenity of the woods surrounding it.
(We’ll be sharing a beautiful hike Mr. Family Trip and one of our son’s did in Hohenschwangau in an upcoming post, so stay tuned.)
Mary's Bridge
Marienbrücke, or Mary’s Bridge, is the place to walk around the grounds if you go anywhere.
This bridge is free to walk over but it does require some steepness to get to and it does close during foul weather. But the views are exquisite.
The original bridge was built in 1845 by Ludwig’s dad and named for Queen Marie. It is 295 feet above the gorge and 114 feet long.
The original construction wasn’t very pretty nor, being made out of wood, stable. In 1866 King Ludwig replaced it with a steel structure. While the bridge was restored in 1984, the barristers are original to King Ludwig’s work. (To be clear: this felt totally safe.)
Neuschwanstein Castle Views
The castle is empowering and overhwleming from all angles. Make sure to leave plenty of time to catch Neuschwanstein from different angles (use those trails around grounds!) and different times of day.
When we were on our way back from Füssen (more coming on that soon), the setting sun made everything appear pink.
I expected Disney’s Cinderella to walk out, just as he envisaged when he made his Magic Kingdom castle based on Neuschwanstein.Â
(Side note: for kicks you should check out the ONLY POST we’ve ever written on Disney, which was about Fort Wilderness camping back in 2017. It’s cute.)
Inside the Castle
There are 14 finished rooms inside Neuschwanstein Castle open to visitors. And they are all preserved exactly the way King Ludwig left them. That’s not actually much of the castle that is completed, but what rooms are done are opulent.
They are fairytale worlds. They are concoctions of absolute imagination and creativity. It’s remarkable to see. Ludwig was a devoted fan of opera and composer Richard Wagner. Much of what is completed inside the castle is a place where theater performances could be held in opulence and dedicated to Wagner.
Considering that the Nazis meant to destroy the castle during World War II, it is a gift to the ages that these rooms are even still standing.
Ludwig never finished his castle. Inside, you can see maps, drawing, and renderings of knights baths and turrets and buildings never begun. You can meander hallways where King Ludwig must have spent time dreaming of what he wanted to build.
Going inside this castle is certainly memorable and magical.
What You MUST Know to Visit Inside Neuschwanstein
You must book a guided tour to get inside the castle. Additionally, tour tickets for Neuschwanstein Castle sell out weeks in advance in the peak summer travel times. So book online in advance as soon as you know you are going.
You will pick a time of entry. The tours aren’t that long – we spent just over 90 minutes inside and we spent time watching an optional video.
Photography inside the castle is strictly prohibited. No strollers or backpacks inside, either. There are locker rentals outside of the entrance if you need to store your stuff.
It is worth considering bundling your tour ticket to Neuschwanstein with tours of the other castles in the area, as well. We did not purchase tickets in our original itinerary to see Hohenschwangau castle but when in the area, our 15-year-old (who had done pre-trip research on King Ludwig) was intrigued and wanted to go. Tickets to this castle did not sell out, but it would have been a savings to get the ticket package.
Is Seeing Neuschwanstein Worth It?
This isn’t an easy place to get to. And it isn’t easy to maneuver. There are way too many tourists here in the summer and everything is congested and crowded… at least, until around 2:00 in the afternoon. After that, things start to settle down and that is when the grounds really start to show what they mean. There isn’t a ton to do in this area, but spending more than a few hours here was worth it to us.
For while we’ve seen lots of castles (like, a LOT), this one felt special. There is an aura, a vibe, a special something to this one that is a tribute to the wild genius of King Ludwig II and his vision. It’s spectacular.
Plan ahead, make good decisions, and you are sure to enjoy this stop. It will be one you always remember.
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