October 29, 2019
Saturday, September 28th
Today was a very long, but magical day. Tom and I met our friends bright and early and started our journey to the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. Our first mode of transportation was by train. The train ride took two hours to Fussen. When we reached Fussen, our second mode of transportation was a bus. We rode the bus for 20 minutes to Bavaria. We arrived in Bavaria and stood in line to receive our tickets for the 12:05 tour. I recommend arriving in Bavaria early and booking your tickets in advance like we did because the tours do sell out. Our last mode of transportation was horse and carriage. We had the option of walking up the large hill to the Neuschwanstein Castle, but we opted to ride the horse and carriage for something different.
The Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most visited castles in Germany and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. It was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as the “Fairytale King”. Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disney Land are modeled after the Neuschwanstein Castle. Viewing the exterior of the castle created a magical feeling that can’t be described. There was also the anticipation of going inside of the castle…
Tourists are not allowed to take photos inside of the castle. Since tourists are not allowed to take photos, this creates mystery as to what rooms look like inside of the castle.
Neuschwanstein literally means “New Swan Castle”. The swan is the historic heraldic animal of the knights of Schwangau. Ludwig loved swans growing up. Artwork of swans are found throughout the castle. At the time of Ludwig’s death the palace was far from complete and he slept only 11 nights in the castle.
As a tourist, it is amazing to see the magnificent exterior of the castle. The interior of the castle is magnificent as well, even though it remains unfinished…
The best view of the Neuschwanstein Castle was from Mary’s Bridge. The maximum number of people allowed on Mary’s Bridge is 400. There is a counter that reads how many people are on the bridge.
After standing on Mary’s Bridge, we started our journey walking down the hill. I definitely recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
After our time in Bavaria, we went of Fussen for dinner. Fussen is a very small and quaint town.
After dinner, we rode the train back to our hotel. It was a long day, but definitely worth it!
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