Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavaria region of southern Germany, is as iconic as Mickey Mouse’s silhouette or Cinderella’s carriage. It is indeed the castle that Walt Disney took as inspiration for the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle that stands central to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, as well as being featured in Disney’s movies, books and other merchandise. It therefore made it a great choice from Germany’s vast selection of beautiful castles to visit with the girls, as it’s one they recognise.
For me it was fascinating to read the back story of King Ludwig II of Bavaria who, in the nineteenth century had a vision for a beautiful theatrical castle, perhaps as escapism from his life. However, like many fairy tales, Ludwig’s journey when building this castle had many twists and turns, and tragically rather than a happily-ever-after ending, he sadly only lived in his castle for six months before he was found dead in a lake. After almost bankrupting himself for his dream, he didn’t get to enjoy it. This tragic ending got me thinking about how life is unpredictable, and we don’t know how long we have - so we need to seize everyday (sorry if that’s a bit deep)!
We’d picked up some good tips in advance of our visit from other blogs, (like this one by Wandering Bird) which motivated us to arrive early, (I was quite impressed that we parked up just after 9am!) and was definitely the right thing to do. There was a big area of the car park sectioned off for motorhomes and the car park attendant guided us to a space large enough for our 9m motorhome), which made parking really easy. From there it was a short walk to the ‘village’ of Schwangau that sits at the bottom of the hill between Neuschwanstein Castle and Ludwig’s childhood home of Hohenschwangau Castle (or Schloss in German).
Sadly, we weren’t able to go inside the castle while we were in the area, because there weren’t any tickets available for weeks, as the number of people allowed on each guided tour has been significantly reduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we were still able to enjoy the beautiful views of this unique, fairy-tale castle by taking the shuttle bus up to the top of the hill to view it from the Marienbrücke (Queen Mary’s Bridge).
The shuttle bus runs very frequently, and costs €3 for a return ticket for adults (and €1.50 for children aged 6-12). There wasn’t a queue, in part due to the early hour but also the reduced visitor numbers. It is possible to hike up, or down (or indeed both ways) but we decided it was probably a bit beyond the smaller pairs of legs in our family! So instead we were whisked to the top in less than 10 minutes where we joined the queue for the bridge.
Now this queue was a result of the social distancing measures that have been introduced on the Marienbrücke, and although we stood and waited for about 10 minutes, the upside of this crowd management was, that with a limited number of people on the bridge at any time (usually about 20), it made it easier to enjoy the moment. Instead of jostling with other tourists it gives the opportunity to take in this breath-taking castle, and it also made photo opportunities and selfies far easier! Obviously, any selfies or family portraits will feature everyone wearing masks (at the time of our visit in September 2020 it was law in Germany for children over 6 to wear masks) as this was needed on the bridge. It’s also worth noting that when we left the area at about 11am the queue snaked all the way back to the bus stop and was probably 40 minutes long, so I reiterate the tip to arrive early.
I have to admit it felt quite a journey to make simply to stand on a bridge, however spectacular the view was of this white fairy-tale castle, set proudly against the backdrop of Lake Forggensee and the surrounding valley. We therefore took the option to continue on from the bridge and make the precarious walk, over tree roots, and uneven rocks, up to the viewpoint which I actually think gave a better perspective of the castle than the bridge. The kids enjoyed the adventurous nature of the pathway too! It was well-worth the 20 minute (mask-free) detour.
We didn’t dawdle in the village of Schwangau, as it seemed to be filled with restaurants and gift shops that are priced for the captive tourist market. Instead we drove 10 minutes down the road to the nearby town of Füssen and grabbed one of the last remaining parking spots at the Motorhome area Sportstudio Füssen for the day/night. By 12pm most places were full, so my suggestion is to ensure you arrive early if you want to stay over (there are usually spaces between 9.30am & 11.30am). You can find this site on the CamperContact app. Although pitch spaces are narrow, they are long enough to put a table and chairs out at the back (if your motorhome is shorter than ours!). They have electricity on pitch, motorhome services available on site and also a small block providing toilet facilities and a shower (costing 50 cents for 3 minutes of hot water). You check-in at the Reception of the sports centre across the road where the staff spoke good English (and you get discounts for the facilities too). With all this, it seemed reasonable for €19 per night (including electricity) given its central location.
This pretty town, that marks the convergence of the popular tourism routes of the Romantic Road and the German Alpine Road, was a joyful 10 minute cycle ride away (along a very flat path with good cycle lanes) and we spent a lovely afternoon wandering the pedestrianised centre, eating delicious ice creams next to a fountain and exploring the castle walls. It was really interesting to spot the buildings adorned with hand-painted images – ranging from patterns to musical instruments, and the castle where all the window details, cornices and architectural details are actually painted on – they look amazingly real!
Overall, it was a lovely story to tell of the last leg of our journey through Germany on our way to Italy. I have to confess that I think the castle’s fame has spoilt it somewhat. It feels overly touristy and there is very little to be surprised by as its picture is so iconic and so you already know what to expect. However, the girls loved seeing it, and our tale had a happy ending!
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