Castle Neuschwanstein

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I've returned to America and am now able to finish up my blog covering my travels in Europe. It was just too busy to get the internet time needed to cover the last 1/3 of my trip, so here goes (part 1 of 2)...

In my previous blog, I was in Ulm, Germany (southern city). Jim and I left Ulm on Saturday night (May 6) and headed south on the autobahn (A7). By the way, I should comment on the autobahn. First off, as many of you know, there is no speed limit. To deal with the speed differentials, most of the autobahn has 2 or 3 lanes in each direction to allow easy passing. However, you must pass only on the left. Seriously. You can't pass on the right. Totally illegal. Therefore, if you are in the fast lane (passing lane), you better be going fast, or have your eyes open for another car coming up from behind. It seems at times that cars appear out of nowhere due to the high speeds they are traveling. I believe we topped out at 170 km/hour (approx 105 miles per hour), but there were cars going much faster.

We reached the Fussen area around 9:00 p.m. and searched for lodging for the night. Jim had been here before and we sought out a hotel (guesthouse actually) where he previously stayed. We found it (Gastehaus Elisabeth) in Schwangau (nearby town to the bigger Fussen). We got the last room with a great view of the Alps for 65 euros (approx $81). The owners were really nice but spoke limited English. After checking in, we headed towards the nearby castle, Castle Neuschwanstein, even though it was dark.

Castle Neuschwanstein was built by King Ludwig II in the late 1800s. It was meant to reproduce medieval architecture while incorporating the modern technology of its time (running water on all floors; warm air heating system; automatic flushing toilets; etc.). Walt Disney based his Sleeping Beauty castle in Disneyland on it (one of many sources of inspiration Walt received from Germany).

We drove up right to the base of the castle and walked around for a bit (security seemed to be pretty limited at night). There was lighting on the castle which gave it an eerie feeling. It was really cold though so our walk was cut short.

The next morning, we got up in time for the included breakfast at Gastehaus Elisabeth (standard German assortment of rolls, meats, cheese, cereal, milk, coffee, tea, yogurt, and fruit). Then off we went to see the castle and surrounding area during the daylight hours. In the day you have to park at the base of the mountain and then hike up to the castle. It's about a 30 minute hike, and a steep climb. You can take a shuttle or a horse-drawn carriage part way up to the castle if desired (for a fee of course).

We first hiked up to the bridge that overlooks Castle Neuschwanstein. It's a spectacular view, especially during the morning with the sun illuminating the castle from behind our vantage point. The surrounding countryside is also amazing. The setting is idyllic. The castle lies at the edge of the Alps with several lakes and two other castles nearby.

You can pay to go into the castle. We did enter the coutyard but didn't pay the extra money to go inside. Jim had done it before, and although he said it was interesting, he didn't think it was worth the money.

There were quite a few tourists but I am sure it is absolutely packed during the summer (and for good reason). Castle Neuschwanstein is well worth a visit, not only for the castle, but for the setting. It was also fun talking with and taking pictures for other tourists (including some from South Korea and Singapore).

We left the area that afternoon (after grabbing lunch in Fussen) to begin the drive through Austria into Italy. Our plan was to arrive that night (Sunday, May 7) in Vicenza, Italy where we would be staying with friends of Jim.

That concludes Part 1. Part 2 will hopefully be finished soon. It will include the Italy portion of our "European Vacation."

Thanks for reading...

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Photos

Castle Neuschwanstein
view from the bridge. Wow!

Castle Neuschwanstein
in the courtyard

lake near Castle Neuschwanstein
the lake near the hotels leading up to the castle

driving through the Alps
Driving through the Alps in Austria on our way to Italy.

Jim and I
outside of our hotel, Gastehaus Elisabeth, in Schwangau

Gastehaus Elisabeth
from our balcony