If you're ever in the Munich area, I highly recommend you pay
a visit to the Hohenschwanstein and Neuschwanstein castles. For 20 euros, you
get entrance and a guided tour of the castles. The castles are scenically
located in the mountains. Hohenschwanstein, which literally translates to
the "high swan stone", is
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| Hohenschwanstein |
the older of the two castles. It was
originally built in the twelfth century by an order of knights known as the Swan Knights, who ruled the
surrounding area. Eventually the order fell apart and the castle fell into disrepair
until it was purchased and restored by King Maximilian II of Bavaria. The castle housed
King Maximilian II and his family. After King Maximilian's death in 1864, wife, Marie of Prussia, and his son, King Ludwig II, continued to live in Hohenschwanstein. King Ludwig remained in Hohenschwanstein while his castle, Neuschwanstein, was being built on the mountain side just opposite Hohenschwanstein. After King Ludwig's mysterious death in 1886, Marie of Prussia was the only person to occupy Hohenschwanstein until she died in 1889.The Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria lived in the castle until his death in 1912, after which the castle was opened as a museum in 1913.
The walk to
Hohenschwanstein is very easy and takes less than 5 minutes from the ticket office. It is not located very high on the mountain side
and the incline of the walk way is relatively gradual. While you are waiting for your tour to begin you can wander the castle garden and admire the landscape. From the castle garden wall, you have a beautiful view of the Alpsee Lake and the surrounding mountains. When it's time for your tour, you will be led through the entrance into the game room of the castle where you will meet your tour guide. While on your tour, pay special attention to the walls as you move from room to room. All of the walls have murals painted directly on them. Each room has a different theme ranging from history to mythology.
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| Neuschwanstein |
Neuschwanstein is the creation of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Building began in 1864 and continued until the king's death in 1886. The castle was never finished and there remain whole in Neuschwanstein that are nothing more than stone walls. King Ludwig only lived in the castle for 172 days before he was wrongfully demeaned insane and brought to another castle. Ludwig II mysteriously died a few days later after being taken into protective custody. Neuschwanstein was designed to reflect the plays and operas of Richard Wagner, a close friend of King Ludwig II. King Ludwig was arguably Wagner's biggest fan and created Neuschwanstein to commemorate Wagner's work. Many of the murals in the castle are scenes from Wagner's work. The king's personal bed chamber is dedicated to Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. The walls depict scenes from the opera and statues and carvings of Tristan and Isolde are spread throughout the room. Neuschwanstein has become the inspiration for many other castles and was even the inspiration for the castle of Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
The walk to Neuschwanstein is a longer walk (about 30 to 45 minutes depending on how fast you walk), but the scenery is completely worth it. You get an amazing view of the surrounding area and even get to walk by a beautiful waterfall. While the walk to Neuschwanstein is longer, the incline of the pathway is not steep and
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| View from Neuschwanstein |
very manageable. If you don't want to walk, you can also pay for a horse drawn carriage to take you to the castle. Once at the top, you will have a spectacular view of the landscape. After you have taken your tour of the romantic castle, you can (weather permitting) walk to the Marienbrücke (Marie's Bridge). The bridge spans a gorge and gives you a wonderful view of the castle and the landscape. It's the best place to get a picture of the castle. If you have good weather and aren't afraid of heights, the Marienbrücke is definitely worth the visit.
