The Siberian American: A Snowy Fairytale: Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany

Monday, January 18, 2016

A Snowy Fairytale: Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany

It has been snowing all week in Chicago, and I’ve been daydreaming about our time in Europe and our day at Neuschwanstein Castle. It was one of my top five European travel moments, and an experience I will always treasure.


We visited Neuschwanstein Castle on a three-day weekend trip to Munich and Salzburg by taking the train from Munich to Fussen, which took about two hours. Then, we took the bus into Schengau for a couple Euros.

As soon as we got off the bus, we ran to get hot chocolate to warm up and feel cozy. I noticed a sign offering horse-drawn carriage rides up to the castle, which sounded like the perfect transportation to a fairytale castle. I will never forget sipping on my hot chocolate with Christopher and our friends, watching the snow lightly falling as Neuschwanstein Castle came into view. I could have sat in that carriage all day snapping photos of Neuschwanstein. The exterior is so stunning, and there is nothing like seeing it for the first time. The horse-drawn carriage only dropped us off halfway to the castle, but it wasn’t a long walk to get to the top of the hill.


We took the tour of the inside of the castle, but honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. King Ludwig II died (under mysterious circumstances) before the inside was completed, so there isn’t much to see. I did think it was interesting to learn more about King Ludwing II and his obsession with swans (there are swans all over the castle) and Richard Wagner (my favorite part of the castle were the frescoes depicting scenes from Richard Wagner’s operas).


Other than the ride to the castle, my favorite part of the day was taking photos from the Marienbrücke (Queen Mary’s Bridge), which offers seriously stunning views of Neuschwanstein Castle. The bridge was a little high and not the best for my fear of heights, but it was worth it to get some of my favorite photos from our time in Europe (Let's just ignore my messy travel hair and that our friends didn't know how to use my DSLR, so the photos of us are blurry, shall we?).


We capped off the fairytale by warming up at a café with mulled wine and wiener schnitzel before heading off for more adventures in Munich.



What is one of your favorite travel moments?

16 comments:

  1. this is seriously one of my dreams.. haha. one day hopefully! looks absolutely gorgeous.

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  2. What an amazing view from that bridge! I hope I'd be able to brave it as well. You guys look fine, even blurry :) And sssseriously.... a horse-drawn carriage ride up to a castle!?!??! NOTHING is more fairy tale!

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  3. WOW, those pictures are gorgeous! I love Germany, it is like a fairy tale! I was there years ago at Christmas time and I hope to go back one day with my husband! Stay warm!

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  4. Gorgeous! I so want to go there! I was just reading an article on the castles that inspired Disney movie castles and I know this one was on there! Now I just can't remember which movie...

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  5. Winter travel makes my heart sing. Especially when it involves Europe and a huge castle, are you kidding??? Wow, does that look perfectly cozy or what. How pretty!!!! I had never heard of King Ludwig but I'm intrigued to learn more~

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  6. We were there in Spring, but it looks lovely in winter too! I agree with you on the inside tour, but it was kind of fun to learn more of the crazy back stories. Such an interesting place!

    <3 Have Ashley, Will Travel

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    1. It was definitely interesting to hear some of the crazy stories! I would love to see it in the spring-I bet it's so pretty. :)

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  7. Wow, that is beautiful. It doesn't even look real, that's how beautiful it is. Dang!

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  8. So freaking beautiful! I've loved seeing all of the pictures and hearing stories of Neuschwanstein castle because we'll be making a stop there in September this year (it still feels weird to say that it's THIS year!). The mulled wine and hot chocolate sound like the perfect ways to start and end your cold day at the castle!

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  9. Ok now I need to go, it's so gorgeous!!

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  10. It's so beautiful! Unfortunately the bridge was closed when I was there last month so I wasn't able to get the photos I wanted from the spot. But like you said, the heights issue. Eek. I might've chickened out anyway lol.

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    1. I've heard the bridge is closed this year for renovations! Such a bummer! Yeah, if there are a lot of people on the bridge, it is so freaky!

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  11. This is stunning! What a perfect way to go up to the castle. I would of wanted to stay like that forever too.

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  12. That castle is amazing! I can't believe how much it looks like something right out of a fairytale! Gorgeous! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes

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  13. You guys have been to so many amazingly gorgeous places. That castle is stunning <3

    Green Fashionista

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  14. Well that's what I call a castle - holy moly it's big! xo, Biana

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