The scene awaiting me at the foothills of the Neuschwanstein Castle was straight from a fairytale. It was a crisp, October day and a cool breeze gently eased its way through the landscape. Glints of yellow and orange covered the Alps and a castle like any other crept through the towering trees.
When we were planning our tour through Bavaria, Neuschwanstein Castle was top of our list for obvious reasons. The renowned castle is one of the most popular destinations in Europe and was Walt Disney's inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle.
Although its recommended to purchase tickets before you arrive, we opted to purchase once we were there due to our finicky travel schedule. The tours start at 10:00 but its best to get by 9:00 (when the ticket counter opens) to secure your time slot. We got there around 10:30 and the line already had 30+ people. Luckily we got our tickets for around 1:30 which gave us time to look explore. * Neuschwanstein's opening/closing hours change depending on the time of year, so make sure you check out their website to confirm before you go
We decided to take the bus ride up the hill which is an easy three minute trip. Once we arrived, we meandered our way through the forest to Queen Mary's Bridge which offers an unobstructed view of the castle.
If you know me, you know heights and I do not mix. At all. The bridge is pretty darn high but it offers some of the best pictures of Neuschwanstein. So I gathered up some courage and headed out for a few quick shots and I am very glad I did. Please note the hint of terror in my eyes, I was on the verge of tears!
After a quick trek up the trail, the Alps offer an incredible view of Hohenscwangau castle and the green valley below. It was honestly my favorite view of Bavaria and was a great intro to the tour of Neuschwanstein. Signs that fall had arrived were abundantly clear and the pictures we captured were nothing short of spectacular.
Although the sights surrounding the castle are marvelous, the interior left us feeling a bit disappointed. The tour lasts only 20 minutes since most of the castle is surprisingly empty and unfinished. You should still see the inside Neuschwanstein Castle since it is such an iconic building but just prepare yourself for the lackluster tour.
Milena ended up sleeping through the whole tour so it made it a bit hard to fully enjoy what the guide was saying while holding a 20 lb baby. So once the tour was over, we walked to the town below to grab a pretzel and a beer and called it a day.
In my opinion, the tour of the castle isn't the highlight of Neuschwanstein, rather the trek through the Bavarian Alps that offers enchanting views of the surrounding landscape. Its an incredible day trip and one not to be missed!