Castle Facination

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It was a perfect fall weather for hiking although the hike to Neuschwanstein was steep, not easy. After climbing the hills, the ultimate fairy-tale castle stood there welcoming our arrival. "Wow" was the word I used when I saw the castle. This is where a fantasy did come true. The romantic castle was build by King Ludwig II from 1869-1886. The construction stopped with the king's death, and it was never completed furnished.

We hiked further to Marienbruke to marvel at King Ludwig's castle, just as he did hundreds of years ago. Looking at this beautiful landscape, I quickly forgot that I was standing on a high, shaky bridge. The fall foliage added vibrant color to this already breathtaking view! The imperfection in this perfect moment was the ongoing exterior castle renovation. It was completely covered by scaffolding. Arh... I couldn't help to be slightly disappointed.

Standing quietly below Neuschwanstein was the yellow Hohenschwangau castle, King Ludwig's boyhood home. This castle was originally built in the 12th century and was ruined by Napoleon. King Ludwig's father, Maximilian, rebuilt it in 1836. Compared to Neuschwanstein castle, Hohenschwangau castle is a lot more "down-to-earth", but still gives me a glimpse to the luxurious royal life.

Later that day, we retreated to our "schloss", Hotel Sonne. There, we had a partial view of the Hohes Schloss from our room. We headed to the complimentary sauna service before dinner. This was as close as I could get to live like a "Queen". Ciao...

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Photos

Neuschwanstein Castle
Inspiration of Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle

Hohenschwangau Castle
A room with a view to die for.

Hohenschwangau Castle
Bavarian alps

Hohenschwangau Castle
From the hill of Neuschwanstein. Absolutely gorgeous landscape.