It seems I can't get enough of castles since I have been in Germany, and if you're crazy about castles, you can't miss the granddaddy of them all, Neuschwanstein. I went south recently to see it for myself. First, though, there was Hohenschwangau, the place where King Ludwig II spent his childhood.
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| Hohenschwangau Castle |
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| view from the path to the Hohenschwangau Castle |
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| the path to Hohenschwangau |
Ludwig's father built Hohenschwangau Castle out of the ruins of a 12th century fortress. Once Ludwig became king, he decided to build his own larger, more extravagant castle. He had it built high above his father's castle, but within walking distance.
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| view of Neuschwanstein Castle from Hohenschwangau |
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| picture of the Neuschwanstein Castle, taken on the Marienbrücke |
The tour of the two castles took about two and a half hours, and half of that time was spent walking. (It doesn't seem like such a long walk, though, when you stop to have
Quarkbällchen along the way.) Despite the chilly weather (okay, I thought it was cold), there were LOTS of people...I can't imagine how crowded it must be in the summer. I could probably be persuaded to go back in the winter, though; imagine this covered with snow!
Gorgeous pictures, I love the German fairytale castles they are much prettier than the ones back home in England, which I also love. I shall definitely have to visit both.
ReplyDeleteLovely pics & fall colors! We went in the winter and it was so icy we couldn't climb the trail & see it from the back at perhaps it's most picturesque. At least I can enjoy it through your post.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED that place. I went last year about this time of year and it was gorgeous. I wasn't in the mood for a castle trip until I got there and saw how pretty it was. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteI visited several times when I lived in Munich. It's fantastic. Love your pictures!
ReplyDeleteThese shots are FABULOUS!!! And I, for one, NEVER get tired of looking at castles. I think most Americans would agree!!
ReplyDelete@Morgenmuffel--it's DEFINITELY worth the trip!
ReplyDelete@ianandebe--I hadn't thought about that! I met some people that went when the castle was covered in fog...I feel very lucky!
@Lindsey--I almost skipped walking to the Marienbrücke...I was too cold! Once I got up there, though, I was really glad I went. :-)
@Lora--thanks! I think it's worth more than one visit!
@Kelli--Agreed! I've decided to see as many castles as I can!