Confession time: I’m a Disney lover and I always wanted to be one of Disney’s princesses when I was little. Cinderella, Belle, Arielle, I admired them all and wanted to live in a beautiful castle, wear flowy ball gowns and find my Prince Charming. Luckily I can tick off two of those wishes from my wish list: found my Prince Charming – check 🙂 and I can wear flowy dresses whenever I want – check 🙂.
The only thing which is missing is the beautiful castle, so visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle has been on my bucket list for quite some years. So I thought it’s time to tick this off from my bucket list and convinced my sweetheart @bobbie_kazui to go on a little roadtrip with me and explore the whole area around the Neuschwanstein Castle. So keep reading, princess vibes guaranteed 🙂
Visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle
The Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the main tourist attractions in Germany and without a doubt it’s one of the most beautiful castles around the world. The castle looks back on a rich history and if you want to find out more about it, I would recommend you to have a look at the official website. The location where the castle is settled is stunning and you will have already a breathtaking view of this fairytale place when you get near the area. Surrounded by mountains and woods it looks like a movie setting or straight out of a fairytale book. No wonder it has been the inspiration for the Disney Castle 🙂
After arriving at the parking lot of the Neuschwanstein Castle (the daily parking fee is 6€ per car) you need to walk the remaining part up to the castle by foot. There are several horse carriages waiting to transport all the ‘lazy’ people up to the castle as well, but please don’t support this business. The way up to the castle is an easy walk and takes about 35 minutes. You can manage it with whatever shoes you are wearing, but I would recommend you to wear some comfy sneakers.
The view of the Neuschwanstein Castle if you follow the official way up to the castle (the entrance part is still under reconstruction).
Please note: if you want to go inside the castle and get an inside tour of the building you can only buy these tickets at the ticket selling office near the parking lots. Once you are up at the castle there is no chance that you can buy some last minute tickets. We didn’t do a tour, as we only wanted to enjoy the castle from the outside and get to the famous viewpoint, so if you want to do that as well, you don’t have to buy a ticket at all.
How to get to the famous viewpoints
One of the famous viewpoints to get the full panoramic view of the Neuschwanstein Castle is from the bridge ‘Marienbrücke’. The bridge itself offers an amazing view and if you continue to walk a bit further you will reach the viewpoint. As the Marienbrücke was closed due to too much snow we weren’t able to explore this viewpoint so unfortunately I can’t give you any details about this path.
You can spot the ‘Marienbrücke’ at the back of this picture. It was closed due to heavy snowfall.
But: we found another way to another breathtaking viewpoint which offers the same panoramic view only from a little different angle. The way to this view point starts only a few meter after you start your way up to the castle (official path). You will see an official hiking path with a sign saying ‘Marienbrücke’ on your right hand side. Take this path and after about 30-40 minutes you will get to another small way leading up to the viewpoint. Please make sure to wear proper hiking shoes and please be careful as it can be really slippery if the way is wet or full of snow and ice. The hike is really beautiful and leads you through the forest with almost no people around you and you will be rewarded with the most breathtaking view of the Neuschwanstein Castle!
What else is there to see around this area?
Without any doubt the Neuschwanstein Castle is the most popular sightseeing attraction in this area but besides that there is a lot of different things to do and see.
Highline 179
If you want to see a view with a thrill, the Highline 179 suspension bridge should be on your itinerary. This bridge is only a 15 minutes’ drive away from the Neuschwanstein Castle and is located in Tirol, Austria. The way up to the bridge will take you around 20 minutes and the view from the bridge is spectacular, so it’s totally worth the effort.
Eibsee/Eib Lake and Plansee/Plan Lake
These two lakes became really popular on Instagram and are located in the area around the Neuschwanstein Castle (approximately 1 hour). As there was so much snow we weren’t able to visit both of them and get the shots we wanted. So we will definitely come back here in spring or autumn to enjoy the scenery to the fullest!
Munich
If you want to expand your sightseeing itinerary I would recommend you to make a daytrip to Munich and explore this charming city. The Bavarian city is known for its delicious food and beer 🙂 and has many beautiful sightseeing treasures which are waiting for you!
Where to stay? ‘Das Rübezahl’ Hotel – the perfect location for exploring the area
The hotel ‘Das Rübezahl’ is directly located at the foot of the Bavarian Alps in a majestic ambiance. You can enjoy a majestic view of the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles and feel like a real princess during your stay at this 4 star superior hotel. The Neuschwanstein Castle is only a 5 minutes’ drive by car and you can spot both castles whenever you are in your own suite, the infinity outdoor pool or if you are at the restaurant of the hotel.
Enjoying the view from our little balcony overlooking the castles
The family owned hotel will not only convince you with its unique location but with its cuisine as well. Starting your day with a delicious breakfast and ending your day with a romantic candle light dinner – is there anything more you can ask for?
The perfect way to start a day!
After an exciting day full of sightseeing and outdoor adventures the hotel own SPA is the perfect place to relax and pamper yourself with a SPA treatment. The heated outdoor pool offers an amazing view of the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles and has the perfect hot temperature to warm up on a cold winter day.
Pool with a view – can you spot the Neuschwanstein Castle at the back?
Another highlight is the hotel own mountain lodge called the ‘Rohrkopfhütte’ which lies at 1.320 meters above sea level and where you can enjoy a fantastic view of the Alps, the numerous lakes and the world-famous royal castle of Neuschwanstein – a special location for hikers and all nature lovers. The hike to the cabin is one way 1,5 hour and you can relax and enjoy the landscape up there before your way down.
Useful topolindra travel facts:
What to bring: bring some outdoor clothes and hiking shoes if you want to explore the area around the hotel. Don’t forget to pack your bathing clothes so you can enjoy the infinity outdoor pool and the indoor SPA area. The dinner dress-code is casual chic. Bring some skiing outfit if you want to use some of the cross country skiing slopes (they are just in front of the hotel).
How to get there: the hotel ‘Das Rübezahl’ is a 1,5 hour drive from Munich or Innsbruck. Therefore the easiest way to get there is by car.
Who will love this hotel: it’s the perfect hotel for lovebirds of every age or for a besties trip.
I can highly recommend you to visit the beautiful area around the Neuschwanstein Castle and I can’t wait to come back and explore the area together with Konrad during spring or autumn!
If you want to see some more footage about our visit of the Neuschwanstein Castle you can have a look at our Instagram story highlight.
*Please note that we’ve been invited from the hotel ‘Das Rübezahl’ to stay at their hotel.
All recommendations are based on our personal opinion and experiences.