Hike from Tegelberg to Neuschwanstein

Yes it's conservative (if not reactionary ;)). But you need sturdy shoes. And avoid the route through the so called Gelbe Wand. Let translate Google or DeepL this description for you (scroll down and read the "Abstieg nach Neuschwanstein" section); it's an easy and lovely tour.

Please note that the Tegelbergbahn only runs until 17:oo. So you have to hurry after the tour of the castle.

Thank you for your reply and the link. You mentioned that we would have to hurry after the castle tour because Tegelbergbahn closes. Maybe I've got my logistics wrong but I was thinking that our car would be parked at Tegelbergbahn station in a parking lot and after the tour we would just hike back to it from Hohenschwangau Castle. We wouldn't need to ride the lift at that point so why does it matter if it is closed? Can we not get into the parking lot after hours?

OK - my misunderstanding. I understand now that you want to go to the Tegelberg before the castle tour. I thought you had planned it the other way round, I'm sorry.

Thank you for your help!

We did the easier hike from the base of Tegelbergbahn to Neuschwanstein via the Pollat gorge hike (which is what I'm assuming would be your hike back to the parking lot), and what you described is a hike option from the top. At the base of the cable car station, there are hiking maps (I could not find any online prior to our trip!) that outline your course. I do not recall if your specifics is the hike, but rather letting you know that there is a hike with your start and end locations from the top. If I recall correctly, the map did indicate that it would take 3.5 to 4 hours to do. If you guys are too tired for a return hike (although it's a pretty breezy 30-45 minute walk), you could always take the bus from Hohenschwangau to the Tegelbergbahn to retrieve your car (although by the time you hike down to the bus stop you might as well just hike down "back side" along the Pollat gorge trail (which is beautiful) and then walk the additional short flat distance to the parking lot).

Brian-
I'm planning the same hike in 2020. How did it work out? Any tips or advice you can share?

Dustin- yes I have some experience to share now! We did not do this exactly as planned and if I were able to redo it we would do it even differently. The owner of our hotel told me that it would be difficult (time-wise) to hike back and forth between the castles once we got down the mountain. So we only bought tickets for Neuschwanstein. I’ll give my opinion of this later. We first went to the ticket office and there was already a long line before it opened. But the line for pre-bought tickets is short and moves fast. I had to pick up my tickets and change them because we decided to drop Hoenschwangau. We then drove and parked our car at the Tegelbergbahn station. We got there early- before it opened as I expected crowds. This was not necessary. Get there right when it opens and you’ll be fine. (So you have time to go get breakfast if you want). At the top we hiked further up the mountain for maybe a mile. It was beautiful and worth the time although I thought we were crunched for time due to our Neuschwanstein entry. The hike down was via the route In my original post. It was an easy but long hike and not as pretty obviously has higher on the mountain. It is mostly switchbacks through woods which is nice but there are prettier hikes down that require more equipment (proper shoes and poles at a minimum I would think). By the time we got to Ahorn-dienst hut for lunch we were exhausted. Lunch and beers were excellent. We then continued on to Marienbrucke and Neuschwanstein. The bridge we jam packed as expected but a great view and picture. Then we had a long wait for our entry into the castle. I think we ended up getting 3:00 or so entry since we weren’t going to Hohenschwangau. Hike down was maybe 5 hours with lunch. I’m sure you’ve read debates about whether Neuschwanstein is worth visiting. I would say it is not. Definitely worth seeing the outside but the tour is not good. You are packed into groups of about 30 and herded from room to room. Your tour guide does not give you any info. When you enter a new room the guide says “Play Track #4 on your player.” You press the number and hold it to your ear and listen to the recording and then move to the next room. It is hot and crowded and you learn very little and you only see a very small part of the castle. In retrospect I would rather have seen Hoenschwangau were Ludwig actually grew up. I would recommend reading “Not So Happily Ever After” by Susan Barnett Braun before going to Bavaria. It is a short easy read but you will learn a lot about Ludwig’s life and the castles. After our tour we walked down the hill to the bus stop and it was easy to find a bus back to the Tegelbergbahn station. If we wanted to see or tour Hoenschwangau after Neuschwanstein we would have had to hike to it (2 km) and possibly back unless we could have gotten a bus from there back to our car. I will say 2-4 km doesn’t sound like a lot and on its own it is not. We are all runners and reasonably fit but the hike down is long and the tour was tiring. We didn’t have 2-4 Km left in us! I think spending time hiking at the top of the lift is better spent than at the castles. With the castles you’ll be able to say you’ve been there and seen them but the experience and views on the mountain are what we will remember fondly. Those are the highlights. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask. I’ve left out a lot of details even though this post is long!