Getting By, Dreaming Big

A view of Schloss Hohenschwangau (and Alpensee)

The main attraction in this region are the two castles, Schloss Hohenschwangau and Schloss Neuschwanstein.  These castles lie about 3km from Fussen.  We got up early to take the bus to the castles because I had read in my guide book that it was best to get there early before all the crowds got there.  In retrospect, while we were waiting an hour to get the bus back we realized that we should have just ridden our bikes here, oh well, it was a missed opportunity on our part. 

Me enjoying the view from Castle Hohenschwangau

We got a combined ticket for both castles.  We walked up the hill/stairs about 10 minutes for our our tour of Schloss Hohenschwangau which was slated to start at 8:50AM.  We had some time to explore the courtyard and it’s fountain and enjoy the views from the castle.  This tour was about 30 minutes long and was a guided audio guide tour.  So a tour guide brought us from room to room and when we got to each room we listened to our audioguides in our own language to learn about the castle.  Schloss Hohenschwangau was built by Mad King Ludwig’s father, King Maximillian and finished around 1837.  It was his official summer and hunting castle.  Mad King Ludwig spent most of his childhood here enjoying the region.  The inside of the castle was not as impressive as the outside of the castle.  We really only got to see 4-5 rooms.  The audioguide was very informative though.

Us at Mariensbrucke with Schloss Neuschwanstein in the background

Next we began what was supposed to be a 45 minute slightly strenuous walk up to Schloss Neuschwanstein.  It only took us about 25 minutes but we were definitely walking fast, we were not strolling.  We got to the Castle with plenty of time to spare so we went an extra 10 minutes up, up, up to Mariensbrucke to get the best view of the castle.  I was totally disappointed that it had scaffolding on the side – but oh well what can you do.  The bridge with the view point was actually quite terrifying.  It’s just a bridge with wood planks that creaked as I walked on them and it was a long way down.  I did not like it much (although you can’t tell in the above picture).  As we were leaving a huge tour group arrived and frankly I just didn’t want to be on the bridge with that many people.  I’m not as bad with heights anymore but sometimes I can get spooked and this was one of those times.

We waited outside the front of the castle and planned the rest of our day until it was our turn to go.  We had an English speaking tour guide and this was an actual tour where the guide did the talking.  Again it was about a 30 minute tour.  We saw probably 6 rooms or so.  The inside of this castle was much much more impressive then the first castle we visited.  Mad King Ludwig was building this castle as the first skyscrapers were going up in NYC, which is kind of weird to think about.  He only spent about 3 months here before he died and so the inside of the castle is unfinished.  Schloss Neuschwanstein is actually the inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle.  Take a look at the Disney logo and then at the castle – you’ll see the resemblance.

My overall impression of the castles is that the tours on the inside are rather underwhelming.  You don’t get to see a lot and they go by super quick so you don’t feel like you’re spending a decent amount of time inside.  However, I do think the area is worth the visit because there are so many great hiking trails to enjoy and the views of the castles themselves are impressive.

After our 2nd tour we walked down below Mariensbrucke to see the waterfall before heading back down towards the town.  We stopped for lunch on the way at a restaurant that served pizza (again remember I was not interested in German food anymore by day 9 I was needing something my body was familiar with.)  Jon got a very adventurous lunch (sausage, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut) and it ended up being his favorite meal of the trip.  Who would have thunk it?

View of both castles from Alpensee

After lunch we headed to Alpensee, the lake you could see in the first picture in this post.  We chose that for our hike.  It was about a 90 minute hike, some parts flat, some parts hilly, but with great views of the castle.  Again, such a relaxing and peaceful way to spend some time.  We chatted and explored and it was such a great hike.  I would definitely recommend it if you are in the area.  It wasn’t too strenuous at all.

Jon beside Hopfensee Lake

When we got back to Fussen we immediately changed and hopped on our bikes to bike over to and around Hopfensee Lake.  It was about a 90 minute bike ride, 8 miles long, and the perfect way to finish such a fun day.  I really love biking and hope that it’s something that Jon and I put on our “to-do” list to DO more often.

After our pre-dinner drink on our balcony we headed out and found an Italian restaurant (I know I’m bad!!!) for dinner.  I had shrimp scampi with spaghetti in a white wine sauce and it was delish, just what I needed.  At this point in the vacation I was sad because it was coming to an end.  Do you ever get sad toward the end of a vacation, wishing you didn’t have to return to “reality”?