This is the fairytale castle you have seen on a million postcards and the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. It’s in a wonderful location in a valley among the Bavarian Alps, and is stunning even if it was a 19th century folly. Bankrupt King Ludwig building it, and is only partially completed, but what has been finished is magical. Go and see and marvel. It’s really stunning. Visit the nearby Hohenschwangau as well, which is a more modest but intact palace and also extraordinarily pretty.
You should buy a timed ticket for a tour of the castle interior in advance at the official website. You should arrive well in advance of your tour time, as the you can only drive to the parking lot at the base of the hill below the castle. To get up to the castle you can walk or take a bus. The castle website says it takes about 40 minutes to walk, but if you walk fast you can do it in 20 or 30. The bus can take even longer; on crowded days you might have to wait in line before you can board, and the bus actually drops you off above the castle, and it’ll be 5-10 minute walk down to the entrance.
Before or after your castle visit, you should walk up to Marienbrücke (Maria’s Bridge) for the best view of the castle. If you take the bus, it’ll drop you off near the bridge.
This valley is a great stepping-off point to visit not only Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, but also the town of Fussen, Linderhof Palace, Oberammergau, and the Weiskirche.
Hours
Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PMTuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PMThursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PMFriday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PMSaturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PMSunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM