Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschawanstein Castle is considered by many people to be the most beautiful in the world. King Ludvig II ordered building it in the end of 19th century. The construction took 17 years to complete. Ever since, the castle has been a source of inspiration for numerous artists. It is here. where Richard Wagner has written his opera The Rings of the Nybelungs; in a later period Walt Disney creates his famous Disney castle using Neuschwanstein as prototype.

Neuschawanstein Castle is situated at the verge of the Bavarian Apls, several kilometres away from the small town Fussen and from the border with Austria (47.5556238,10.7483178).

You can reach by car to a spacious parking lot. From here there are 3 options to ascend to the castle:

by foot (approximately 40 minutes walking) – a good option for nature-lovers, who want to combine cultural enrichment with physical activity;
by bus – there is a bus station 10 meters away from the tickets centre; there is bus available every 15 minutes. The one-direction trip takes 10 minutes and it will cost you between 2-2.5 EUR, depending on the direction
by horse carriage – an interesting way for you to submerge deeper in the royal atmosphere. One-direction trip costs 4 EUR/person.

Tickets

There are 3 types of tickets and all of them suggest visiting the castle only in a group. It is not possible to visit the castle individually.

Castles Neuschwanstein + Hochenswangau + Museum of Bavarian Kings (31.50 EUR)
Castles Neuschwanstein + Hochenswangau (23.00 EUR)
Only Neuschwanstein Castle (13.00 EUR) – the visit is free for children and youngsters below 18 years old.

We recommend that you buy your tickets in advance online. If you are not up to that option, prepare to queue for 20-30 minutes. When purchasing the tickets you have the option to choose the tour hour as well as the language of the automated audio-guide. Based on our experience, it will take you between 2-3 hours from the time you buy the tickets to your turn in visiting the castle. You can take your time and browse through the numerous pubs and souvenir stores.

Taking Pictures

Neuschwanstein in supposedly the most-photographed castle in the world. More than 95% of its iconic pictures are taken from Marienbrucke bridge. Getting to this spot is very easy – just follow the signs upon reaching the final bus-stop. Prepare to wait for your turn to enter the bridge and take a photo. There are hundreds of photographers there all the time and by security reasons new visitors are allowed in portions of 20-30 people.

Marienbrucke itself is impressive bridge 100 meters above a mountain river. That is why it offers breath-taking views not only of the castle, but also 360-degree panorama of Bavarian Alps.

After capturing precious moments on the bridge, go back the path and visit the castle itself. Be aware, that there is a charge for taking pictures inside the castle. If you are keen to take inside photos, we prepared with a good camera. The dark-wood furnishing and dim light are making the interior relatively dark.

King Ludvig designed the castle to be his personal retreat. He ordered depicting his favourite Germanic legends in the different rooms – Loengrin, Tristan and Isolde, and many more.

At the end of the guided tour, you will be able to buy souvenirs from the castle and leave with the satisfaction that you have seen the most famous castle in the world!