The view through the entrance gate of Schloss Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

Castles of Kings, Hohenschwangau, Germany

In En-Route, Europe, Germany, Our Journeys, Trip-Types, World Travel by JanisLeave a Comment

Schloss Neuschwanstein nestled in the mountains, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

Nestled in the rugged Bavarian hills with the Alps looming behind them, are two stunning castles. Schloss Neuschwanstein with it dreamy fairy-tale towers and the ochre coloured neo-Gothic style Schloss Hohenschwangau.

Schloss Hohenschwangau

The quieter less attention seeking sister, Hohenschwangau, was rebuilt by King Maximillian II Bavaria, from 1833 to 1837.

Looking up at Schloss Hohenschwangau, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

It is erected on the site of the original castle which was left to fall to ruin, after it had been passed through the hands of various noblemen.

This castle is visited by fewer people than Neuschwanstein, but the guided tour of Hohenschwangau feels more personable and the rooms are a lot more accessible to the public.

Within both castles you are unable to take photos of the interior, but they do allow you to take photos of the stunning scenery out of the windows, the backdrop being the Alps and Lake Alpsee.

A view of Lake Alpsee from Schloss Hohenschwangau, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

When King Maximillian II Bavaria died in 1864, Ludwig his eldest son succeeded him to the throne and moved from the castle annexe, he shared with his brother, into his father’s state rooms.

The side view of Schloss Hohenschwangau, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

Today you can see the night sky that Ludwig had painted on his bedroom ceiling along with a number of twinkling stars, (who said he was mad).

A close-up view of Schloss Hohenschwangau, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

As Ludwig grew older he became more introverted and reclusive and although Hohenschwangau was the childhood home, he wasn’t content with living in the same residence as his mother.

Photos

If you wish just to take external photos of these castles, it is possible to do this without buying a ticket.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

So in 1869 construction started on the majestic Schloss Neuschwanstein (New Swanstone Castle).

The jaunt to Castle Hohenschwangau of which we opted for the 20-minute route via the steps, was fairly steep, but nothing prepared you for the 40-minute trek up to King Ludwig’s II abode.

You do have a choice of the mode of transport up to Neuschwanstein Castle, but the horse and carts were a bit infrequent and the queue for the bus was rather long.

Once again we opted to walk, it was a very pleasant walk and luckily in the shade, but it was definitely on the steep side.

Whilst on the vertical climb we noticed there were various food and drink establishments, so a mental note was made for a bratwurst and a beer on the way back down.

A close view looking up at Schloss Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

King Ludwig, also known as ‘mad King Ludwig’, had this amazing enchanted castle built on the craggy hilltop which previously housed the ruins of twin medieval castles.

Ludwig would spy on the ongoing construction of his new castle from a telescope he had installed in Hohenschwangau.

The view through the entrance gate of Schloss Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

Neuschwanstein with its imposing exterior, which looked down upon his own father’s castle, was decorated with a large influence coming from the composer Richard Wagner’s works, of whom Ludwig was obsessed with. The ‘Hall of Singers’ on the fourth floor is adorned with themes from Wagner’s operas.

There are some stunning rooms in the castle, one of which is The Throne Hall. The mosaic floor in this room was completed after the Kings death in 1886, but the apse which was to hold King Ludwig’s II throne was never completed.

The fairy tale castle

Externally this castle is one of the prettiest in the world but unfortunately internally it was never fully completed.

Of the 200 rooms and halls that King Ludwig II planned only around 15 were finished and he only ever lived in the castle for a handful of days.

The first floor of this castle is accessible to the public, but the second floor still remains incomplete with bare brick.

Just to add a bit of confusion, once King Ludwig II Bavaria died, the names of the castles were changed.

Prior to the current names Hohenschwangau Castle was known as Schwanstein Castle and Neuschwanstein Castle was known as New Hohenschwangau Castle.

The fairytale castle of Schloss Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

This is a really beautiful place to visit, the enormity of this construction defies belief. You can see why this castle was the inspiration behind the Magic Kingdom castle in Disney World.

You may remember the castle from the movie ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, it also featured in the more recent film ‘The Monuments Men’.

Schloss Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany

We found out whilst on our tour, that the locals were unaware that actual stolen works of art, had been stored in Neuschwanstein Castle by the Nazi’s during WWII as depicted in ‘The Monuments Men’.

Access

Access to the castles is by guided tour only. Your tickets are issued with a time on them depending on your language. So be sure to allow enough time to get between each castle, bearing in mind the jaunt up the hill.

A little bit extra…

There are various types of tickets that you can purchase at the ticket office, as not only are there the two castles to visit, but there is also the Museum of the Bavarian Kings.

You can purchase four types of tickets;

  • Prince
  • King’s
  • Wittelsbach
  • Swan

We purchased the King’s ticket which meant we could visit both castles for €23 (2015 price) - The 2020 price is €25

Have You?

Visited the Castle, or do you remember it from the movies? Why not see it for yourself?

Inspired to visit Neuschwanstein?

To visit the fairy-tale castle that inspired Walt Disney? Does the history of King Ludwig's folly tempt you?

Why not check out the latest deals on Booking.Com?

Booking.com
Castles of Kings, Hohenschwangau, Germany

(Why not Pin It for Later?)

Share this post

Unable to locate Global Block : 59232

Comments

  1. Wonderful post! Neuschwanstein Castle is high on our bucket list- this looks incredible! Hohenschwangau looks fascinating as well. Great photos and tips as always! -Adam (and Stephanie)

    1. Hi Guys,We found it a fantastic place, and I’m sure we’ll return at some point. Probably as a ‘Romantic Road’ (Romantische Straße) Road trip, but also take in Nuremberg & Munich.To do the full tours of both castles does take some time though because they are timed slots – So best book out the whole day. We found the people of Bavaria really friendly, and we loved that part of our ‘Lakes ‘n’ Lederhosen’ trip.We hope to read about your adventures at the castle some time soon when you ticked it off your bucket list.Happy TravelsJanis & Gary

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.