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?

My Top Five European Travel Moments

If I had to pick my favorite continent to visit, Europe would take the cake.  I have fallen in love with the history, the architecture, and the amazing, magical moments I have experienced. Those moments when I was so in awe, so giddy, so thankful to be alive, to be traveling and experiencing what the world has to offer. It sounds cheesy, but those in love with travel know exactly what I mean. Here are my top five European travel moments so far:

Seeing the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night for the first time: 
We went to Paris for the first time over a Valentine’s Day weekend, and on Valentine’s Day, my hubby surprised me with a night cruise on the Seine River. As we approached the Eiffel Tower, it began to twinkle. I had seen it in photos, but it was nothing like experiencing it myself for the first time. At that moment, I fell in love with Paris. Although I usually prefer to travel to places that I haven’t been, I would visit Paris again and again.

Watching Wicked in London:
I had so many different travel moments in London, but seeing Wicked sticks out in my mind. We decided to go on a whim and had an amazing time. It is now one of my favorite musicals, and seeing it in London made it more special.

Hiking up to the Marseille calanques:

This moment really stood out to me because it was one that I didn’t expect. When we visited Marseille, the calanques weren’t on our list, but we saw an advertisement for them and decided to check them out. I was blown away by their beauty. After our hike, we sat down and admired the view, and I never wanted to leave.

Taking a horse-drawn carriage up to Neuschwanstein Castle with light snow falling:
Our trip to Neuschwanstein Castle went beyond my expectations (and those were fairly high to begin with!). Though the inside of the castle is nothing to write home about, the outside is picturesque. I will never forget taking a horse-drawn carriage, holding a mug of hot chocolate with snow lightly falling as the beautiful castle came into view.

Exploring Prague:
I couldn’t pick one specific moment in Prague because I quickly and completely fell in love with the city. I loved the different styles of architecture throughout the city, the Charles Bridge, St. Vitus cathedral, and so much more. The mixture of Eastern and Western styles was unique and instantly made me feel at home.