Neuschwanstein, Füssen and Salzburg – Bavaria's fairy-tale castles

Neuschwanstein is the castle everyone knows even without having seen it – it inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. It was built by Bavarian King Ludwig II, known as the “mad king” or the “fairy-tale king”. The castle perches on a rock above a gorge at the foot of the Alps, near the little town of Füssen, the last stop on the Romantic Road. Austria’s Salzburg, Mozart’s city, is close by.

Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau

Neuschwanstein – begun in 1869 as a romantic dream of a medieval knight’s castle, yet with modern comforts for its time such as central heating and a telephone. Ludwig lived here only a few months before his mysterious death in 1886. The interior was never finished, but the Throne Hall and Singers’ Hall are stunning.
Marienbrücke – the bridge over the Pöllat Gorge with the most famous view of the castle.
Hohenschwangau – the yellow castle opposite, where Ludwig grew up.
The Museum of the Bavarian Kings – in Hohenschwangau, on the shore of the Alpsee.

Tickets: visits are guided only, with timed entry. Buy online in advance – in summer tickets sell out.

Füssen and around

Füssen – a small Alpine town with colourful houses, St Mang’s Abbey and the High Castle.
The Zugspitze (2,962 m) – Germany’s highest peak, about an hour’s drive away near Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Ride up by cable car or cog railway.
The Wieskirche – a Baroque church on the way, and a UNESCO site.

Salzburg

About 3 hours from Füssen is Salzburg – the city of Mozart and The Sound of Music. Visit Mozart’s birthplace on Getreidegasse, the cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress above the city and the Mirabell Gardens.

New Year in Füssen

One of the old programmes offered New Year at the foot of Neuschwanstein – driving via Ljubljana and Salzburg and celebrating at a hotel in Füssen. Snow-covered castles on a winter evening are pure fairy tale.

Getting there

By car – about 1,300 km via Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria (with an overnight drive). By air – fly to Munich, then about 2 hours by car or train to Füssen.

Practical tips

The walk up from the village to Neuschwanstein takes 30–40 minutes. There’s also a bus and horse carriages.
Austria requires a vignette; Germany doesn’t.
In winter the Marienbrücke may close because of ice.