This is the 19th-century fantasy castle King Ludwig II built into the hillside above Hohenschwangau, the model widely cited as an inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Ludwig lived in it for only about 170 days before his death in 1886, and the interiors show his obsession with Wagner's operas, particularly Tannhäuser and Lohengrin. The day is really a mountain excursion built around a 30-minute guided tour, with most of the value coming from the approach on foot or by carriage and the views back over the Alpsee.
| Distance | 130 km southwest |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 2 hours (train to Füssen, then bus/taxi to castle) |
| Getting there | Train from München Hauptbahnhof to Füssen (2 hrs, change at Buchloe); then Bus 73/78 or taxi (15 min) to Hohenschwangau/Neuschwanstein. Return trains to Munich run until approximately 21:00. |
| Address | Neuschwansteinstraße 20, 87645 Schwangau |
How to get there
- Regional train (RE or RB) from München Hbf to Füssen: ~€25.60 / ~$27.70 return (or included in Bayern Ticket €29/person)
- Bus 73 or 78 from Füssen train station to Hohenschwangau/car park (approx. 10 min, €2.50 / ~$2.70 single)
- Taxi from Füssen to castle car park: €20–€25 / ~$22–$27
Location
Neuschwansteinstraße 20, 87645 Schwangau
47.5576, 10.7498 View on map
Highlights
- Singers' Hall - a full-height hall Ludwig built for Wagnerian performances that were never actually staged there
- Marienbrücke - the bridge over the Pöllat gorge with the classic head-on view of the castle's towers
- Hohenschwangau Castle - Ludwig's boyhood home across the valley, in yellow, which most visitors skip but which explains his taste
- Alpsee - the lake below the village, worth the walk around for a different angle on both castles