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Neuschwanstein Castle Reviews

Fussen, Germany

Featured Review : In December I had the opportunity to live out a childhood dream of visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. The castle is situated in a small town called Füssen in Bavarian Germany, close to the Austrian border. It...See Full Review

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  • Neuschwanstein Castle

  • 4 out of 5 stars
     becks from Mexico City
  • March 15, 2002
  • Best of IgoUgo
Quote: Schloss Neuschwanstein Photo - Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen, Germany

Schloss Neuschwanstein is a pleasant day trip from Munich. Flyers with detailed transportation information in English are available from Munich Hauptbahnhof. It is highly advisable to go early to minimize queuing for castle tickets even out of season.

Neuschwanstein is the castle that inspired Disney and even if you have never seen pictures of it you may have seen its resemblance in various Disney productions. Construction began in 1869 but it was never completed. This castle and several other grandiose constructions consumed first the private fortune of Bavarian King Ludwig II and then a large portion of the state budget as well. Eventually Ludwig was declared mad in 1886 and he died in mysterious circumstances soon after being disposed.

The original floor plans, which were frequently altered on the King’s whims, were by a theater designer and many basic architectural mistakes are evident including stairways leading to nowhere. Be as it may, the grayish-white castle is a sight to behold in all kinds of weather.

The interior can only be visit on a guided tour included in the ticket price. The tour doesn’t allow much time to linger but gives a general idea of what is represented by the lavish rich decorations in several rooms. Ludwig was inspired by romantic ideas and themes from Wagner’s operas feature strongly. Photography of the interior is strictly prohibited. There is a small coffee shop at the end of the tour but it gets crowded even on a very quiet day.

The best views of the castle and the surrounding countryside is from the Marienbruecke - an 1866 engineering masterpiece built 92 m over the narrow Poellath River valley. The 45 m high Poellatfalls can be seen from several rooms in the castle. The bridge is about 15 minutes uphill from the castle on well signposted walkways.

In a small step for man but a huge leap for German bureaucracy, tickets are now sold in the village allowing you to roam and spend money in town rather than queue with nothing to do for hours at the castle door as was done presumable since the castle was opened to the public in 1886! The lines moved slowly even on a very quiet winter’s day and the tour time was more than two hours later making one wonder if it is a conspiracy to keep one in town longer? Strolling up to the castle can take between 20 and 60 minutes depending on the route. A limited bus service is also available.

You can also visit the less picturesque Schloss Hohenschwangau which is where Ludwig spend much of his childhood. The castle is close to the new ticket office.

It may be worth considering a day tour in season to avoid having to queue for tickets. A day tour may also include visits to other castles and sites, such as Linderhof, which are hard to reach by public transport.


From journals Munich - a south German gem

  • Tour to Neuschwanstein, & Oberammergau

  • 4 out of 5 stars
     superpurd from Williams Lake
  • September 10, 2000
  • Best of IgoUgo
Quote: Our tour included a 1/2 hour stop at the Bavarian city of Oberammergau, the home of the famous Passion Play which is usually sold out years in advance. It is a beautiful little Bavarian style town with gorgeous hanging plants etc. Our first castle was Linderhof, a castle built and completed for King Ludwig. Ludwig apparently had mental problems and it was suggested he lived here whether he wanted to or not. The castle is incredibly lavish and worth the trip by itself. At this sight in the mountainside Ludwig had created the 'Blue Grotto, an underground cave with a small lake. Also well worth visiting. We then proceeded to Neuschwanstein Castle, the model on which Disneyland was based. The castle is built out in the country and stands by itself in the wilderness. We had lunch at a tourist stop near the castle, excellent food, and toured a few shops at this site. We walked up to the castle from there, a twenty minute uphill walk. There is a bus if you wish to take it. Their is a very impressive throne room, chandeleirs weighing about 2 tons in the shape of a crown. The whole throne room looked like a church, all marble stairs leading to the throne. The bedroom took 4 years for the carver to complete. The kitchen had a rotisserie designed by Da Vinci. Through windows you could see a waterfall and a lake. Great scenery, a great day.
From journals Five days in Munich (Munchen)

  • Schloss Neuschwanstein

  • 3 out of 5 stars
     soñadora from Coamo
  • September 2, 2000
Quote: The Castle Photo - Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen, Germany Going to Neuswanstein was a dream of mine for quite some time. But I'd heard that it was not worth to take a whole day to go see it especially with my tight schedule. But I managed to take some time and...off I went. I will be very sincere, it's a long trip and it will cost you. You take 1 train to take a bus to take another bus to walk for 30 minutes uphill(very uphill!). And to get inside the castle you'll have to pay about 15 USD. I found that to be a little to expensive to see the only 2 completed floors. So what made it for me? First of all, the town from where you get the bus is very beautiful and charming, I wish I could have time to walk around. Second of all, can you say: mountain, lake, waterfall, hanging bridge? It's absolutely amazing up there. It's just indescribable beauty. It will leave you breathless. And to top it all, there were some hanggliders in a nearby peak, lucky bastards! It looked like a dream. So that's most certainly worth it!
From journals Munich in 2 very short days!

  • Neuschwanstein Castle

  • 3 out of 5 stars
     Kontesssa from Vancouver
  • September 2, 2000
Quote: Neuschwanstein isn't an OLD castle. It was built in the late 19th century by Mad King Ludwig. He never got to live in the castle, and until now, it still isn't finished. But what's there is utterly beautiful. Ludwig is a big fan of Wagner and his rooms are decorated in the same vein as the Wagnerian operas - dramatic, romantic, very powerful. Tristan and Isolde, for example, line his bedroom walls.

The castle charges for admission, but you get a guided tour along with it, which proves very helpful as the guides make the castle come alive for you. Gorgeous throne room, lots of swan decoration, and jaw-dropping views (my friend was absolutely drooling) from the castle windows. To get to Neuschwanstein from Munich, you have to take the train to Fussen first. And then from Fussen, it's a bus ride to the castle vicinity. To actually get to the castle, you have to hike to the top. It took me about twenty minutes, with a bunch of rest stops and several pep talks from this Texan girl I met climbing up. The pep talks were mutual, BTW!


From journals Here's to Deutschland

  • Neuschwanstein Castle

  • 4 out of 5 stars
     jwagner from Des Moines
  • August 27, 2000
Quote: Neuschwanstein may be the most photographed castle in Germany. At least it seems that would be the case when you traipse up the hill with hundreds of camera-clad tourists scurrying to find the best angles. But despite the fact that this castle--often referred to as the Snow White Castle by Americans--has become almost a cliche unto itself because of its popularity, a trip here is worthwhile.

The castle itself was built between 1869 and 1886 by King Ludwig II of Baveria, nestled among the Alps. The castle is five stories and is of Romanesque design. Many of the rooms were built based on the music of Richard Wagner (Ludwig was his benefactor and most devoted fan). Particularly impressive are: 1.) the throne room with its half-domed golden alcove, mosaic floors and huge chandelier; 2.) the neo-gothic style bedroom created by 14 woodcarvers who spent four years working on the room. 3.) the singer's hall with its perfect acoustics. 4.) the sprawling kitchen with thoughtful design, including ahead-of-its-time hot and cold running water, and automatic spit roasters. The guides here are excellent and love to answer questions. Spend some time delving into the strange death of Ludwig two just hours after he was forced off the throne by a rival.


From journals King Ludwig's Dream Castles