One of the famous sites in Europe is Neuschwanstein Castle, nestled deep in the Bavarian countryside.
The castle is a majestic piece of architecture, reminiscent of something out a fairy-tale.
Walt Disney formed the now iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle after seeing Neuschwanstein (hence the amazing, alluring, yet falsified title).
Traveling out to Neuschwanstein Castle wouldn't be too much a problem. You'd just need one train and a short bus ride to the towering structure.
We left bright and early at about 8:30 to Fussen.
My mom slept:
And, I scholared myself on the arts at Alte Pinakothek:
While the train ride was quite pleasant, a most eventful change in weather suddenly manifested.
It began to snow.
Not just sprinkle, put properly pour.
We arrived into Fussen to find a blanket of snow.
But, here's the thing. The snow wasn't slushy, dirty, or random.
It was calm, slow, and beautifully sprinkling down. It was one of the most pleasant sights I've ever seen.
We stepped on to our bus from Fussen and began our ascent towards Hohenschwangau, the village beneath the celestial Neuschwanstein palace.
Traveling through the forests and villages was such a phenomenal experience.
The spiring trees, smoked cottages, and snow covered mountains provided one transformative experience. It was as if I had stepped into a Grimm fairy tale.
And this was only the beginning.
While on the bus, we noticed quite a few other adventurers also hoping to visit Neuschwanstein.
The bus arrived and dropped us at the small village of Hohenschwangau, about 2 miles away from the castle.
There are two options available in traveling to Neuschwanstein Castle. You can either hike up there or take routine bus.
Although the weather provided an incredible atmosphere, traveling under such conditions would be quite ridiculous.
To our dismay, we found that due to the hostile weather, the buses were not running. I guess that didn't leave us with much of a choice.
With gloves, scarves, and warm coats wrapped all around, we began our venture.
Opposite Neuschwanstein, is the smaller, older Hohenschwangau Castle. While Neuschwanstein was built by Ludwig II, his father, Maximilian II constructed Hohenschwangau Castle.
While many were heading straight to Neuschwanstein, my Mom and I thought that it would be much more beneficial to experience Hohenschwangau Castle first and then Neuschwanstein. It would be a great companion piece and the perfect build-up.
Fighting through the blistering snow, which had gotten enormously stronger since our arrival, we hiked up the rugged hills toward Hohenschwangau Castle.
The castle is a beautifully nestled in the Bavarian hills and nicely appears as you climb.
The design is lovingly ancient and perfectly rekindles the past atmosphere it was built in.
The view from Hohenschwangau Castle to the lower village is mind-numbingly incredible. Your literally seeped in this ocean of a fantastical world, where fairies, dragons, and knights roam free. Surreal...
View from Hohenschwangau Castle
No video game references this time. The atmosphere and setting found here is not akin to the gaming world. This world evokes the fantastical tales of imagination, lore, and adventure.
We began our tour of the interior of the castle after waiting outside for a little while. No photography is allowed inside Hohenschwangau Castle, so I'm unable to provide a visual representation.
What I can tell you though is that the interior is as a delicately crafted as the exterior. Numerous Germanic frescos cover the halls, filled with stories of classical Germanic folklore.
The furniture and design is everything you'd expect from such a castle. Wooden, carved chairs, large and colorful bedrooms, sprawling Germanic symbols.
The famed composer Richard Wagner was good friends with Maximilian II and actually spent some time in Hohenschwangau Castle. The room reserved for Wagner we visited actually housed the piano he would use to play for the king, as well as numerous personal items from the famed composer.
Other subtle touches were sprinkled throughout the house, such as trapdoors leading to different locations and sacred treasures the royal family kept close by.
Essentially, this was a house fit for a true king.
After experiencing Hohenschwangau, we began our decent down towards the village.
I found the Narnia Lamp post along the way:
But was drenched in falling snow, soon after:
The hike down had some truly angelic moments:
We found this sign post, which provided every direction imaginable:
After arriving back to the village, we decided that taking a lunch break would be a splendid option. Just getting out of the sub-zero madness of the weather, which had turned into a ferocious beast, was all I wanted.
While we took our rest at a local place and warmed up, we had a very enjoyable lunch along with the ability to view the beautiful weather without having to actual be in it.
I ordered this very delightful dish:
We also saw this random film crew shooting right outside:
Humorously, they kept re-shooting the scene over and over again. I can only imagine how frustrated their lead must have been to be shooting under such ridiculous conditions. But hey, that's the film business.
Amusingly enough, we also saw numerous visitors just arriving at the village via bus and beginning their venture to the castles. They seemed totally disillusioned by the madness of the weather and were ridiculously under dressed. Fun stuff!
After our break, the time came to tackle Neuschwanstein.
We zipped, buttoned, and wrapped ourselves up before venturing out a second time into the snow-covered landscape.
The trek up towards Neuschwanstein was about twice the length of Hohenschwangau and had a variety of twists and turns. Some quite steep heights as well:
Finally, after freezing to death, we began to see the first etches of the fabled castle.
And oh, was it a sight to behold...
Neuschwanstein Castle
Breathtaking is all I can say to define the atmosphere, scale, scope, and quality of Neuschwanstein.
Surprisingly, even under such harsh weather conditions, many people were still present at the castle. A testament to the quality of the fabled destination.
I recorded some footage of the sublime landscape:
View from Neuschwanstein Castle 1
View from Neuschwanstein Castle 2
Our group was soon call in and escorted into the famed structure.
Akin to Hohenschwangau, no photography is permitted in the castle, but I'll give you my recollected impressions.
The vision for castle is ridiculously ambitious.
As you explore the interior, endless corridors, steep stairs, and stone furniture stand mighty.
Each room is filled with golden statues, mammoth chandeliers, oak fireplaces, and antique arrangement.
The most fascinating thing about the entire scenario, is the fact that each room has its own theme. Ludwig II adored the works of Richard Wagner and thus dedicated each room to a specific Wagnerian Opera.
You step into one bedroom, and sprawling frescos along with even the design of the furniture is sculptured around a certain Wagnerian Opera, be it Lohengrin, Tristan and Isolde, or Tannhauser.
Ludwig II formulated a gigantic hall deep in the castle, intending for musical stages to be performed within the confines of such a space. This epic room was dedicated to the incredibly deep, Parsifal. The depth of Parsifal is incredibly complex, allowing Ludwig II to fill the room with the numerous symbolic touches, sculptures, paintings, and anecdotes, all referencing the epic masterwork.
Essentially, you could call Neuschwanstein Castle an ode to Richard Wagner.
Unfortunately, Wagner was never able to see such an honor. While Ludwig II continuously spoke to Wagner about the development of Neuschwanstein, Wagner died before the Castle could be completed.
It's amazing to see the amount of depth bestowed upon the castle. The patterned archways, swan-like handles (Ludwig's favorite animal), and chimerical appearance, layer Neuschwanstein with that extra sense of fantastical imagination.
Ludwig II was an avid admirer of the fabled world and was able to realize such a fantastical vision through the development of Neuschwanstein. Since its completion, Neuschwanstein has had its own influence on the countless visitors who have made the pilgrimage to the mythical site.
Personally, being able to venture through the fantastical palace and lose all sense of reality for a taste of the fabled illusion, was an unforgettable experience. It's something I will clasp as I continue to explore my own flourishing imagination.
Just before we left, a mini-sized replica of the castle was presented:
As we were escorted out of the castle, back to reality (boring!), we felt oddly out of place.
I helped a group of Asian adventurers with a photograph:
I felt so proud!
As we slowly made our descent from the illustrious castle, we made our final farewell to Ludwig and all his mythical fantasies.
The sights as we spiraled down from Neuschwanstein were gorgeous:
Since the snow had settled down a bit, we were fully able to take in our surroundings, which were truly encompassing.
I captured some absorbing footage of the alluring atmosphere:
Snowy German Forest
We also transversed over a dazzling stream:
Winter Stream
I wonder where it leads to...
We encountered some adventurous Asian explorers trekking up as we reaching lower ground.
Good luck to them!
We finally reached Hohenschwangau village and took the bus back to the Fussen train station.
Here I am, frozen as an icicle, while waiting for the anticipated bus:
Back at the Fussen station, with night rapidly approaching, we really began to feel the temperature decline. It was not a pleasant feeling. Luckily, the train back to Munich was warm and cozy.
Tomorrow, our final day in Germany, would be far different experience. It would be time to explore the darker and more sinister side of Germany's history.
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