Neuschwanstein is reputedly Germany’s most photographed building and was the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s also been in a whole range of movies including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Nearby Hohenschwangau is the older of the two castles and in our opinion its interior is more impressive. You can get a joint ticket which gets you into both castles from the ticket centre at the foot of the hill but we’d recommend booking online in the summer months. The trip from Munich will take around 2 hours, but it’s worth it! This is an extract from our free Munich City Guide.
The towers of Neuschwanstein Castle
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE IN BAVARIA
The castle was built by King Ludwig II who lived in the other castle nearby, Hohenschwangau, and watched his new castle take shape through a telescope. He became somewhat obsessed with gothic looking castles during his life, but despite having Neuschwanstein built to his exacting standards he never got to see it completed. 7 weeks after King Ludwig’s death in 1866, his new castle was opened to the public. Even today, many of the internal features have not been completed but it now welcomes 1.3 million visitors each year. We had always wanted to see this castle and the external features do not dissapoint – its totally over the top design is truly fascinating. Don’t expect the inside to live up to the outside though as only a few rooms were completed by King Ludwig.
ADDRESS, ADMISSION PRICES & OPENING TIMES
Neuschwanstein Castle (Schloss Neuschwanstein), Alpseestrasse 12, D-87645 Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 83 62 93 08 30
Open daily, from April to September between 9am and 6pm, and from October to March between 10am and 4pm. Adult admission is 9 Euros, but we’d recommend the joint ticket with Hohenschwangau at 17 Euros (2010 prices). There are several tours you can take from Munich including the Neuschwanstein & Linderhof Day Tour and the Neuschwanstein Small Group Day Tour - these include your transport and admission charges.
MORE ON NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE
Hotels near Neuschwanstein – Best price guarantee from Hotels.com
Books on Neuschwanstein – Amazon.co.uk
Neuschwanstein website
Neuschwanstein & Linderhof Day Tour – From our Tours & Activities pages
Neuschwanstein Small Group Day Tour - From our Tours & Activities pages
Wikipedia - Neuschwanstein page
German-Way.com
What a great castle! I love bavaria