Please sign in to post.

Neuschwanstein Hohenschangau external views only

Let's say for the sake of argument I only want to visit them to find and take some nice pictures of external views. I've visited castles and palaces all over the world and to be perfectly honest after a while they all start to look alike to me. But I love wandering around the grounds outside these kinds of places, searching for my favorite exterior views. My home computer desktop background consists of more than a dozen pretty neat shots I've taken myself all around the world (e.g., the Blue Mosque, Chateau du Chillon, the Matterhorn, Stonehenge, etc) and I'd love to add these castles to my collection.

So would I need tickets at all? If all I want is to walk to them from the Fussen train station (and I already know how to get there from München by train and then walk from there to the castle)?

Posted by
19052 posts

There is nothing restricting you from walking up to either castle for exterior views. You could walk up the long road from the village of Hohenschwangau to Neuschwanstein for shots of the front, although the most famous view are from Mary's bridge, again accessible on foot although there is also a bus up to the bridge.

Hohenschwangau castle is much more accessible for exterior views. It's closer to the village and lower.

You don't have to walk from Füssen to Hohenschwangau. There are regular buses. If you come out from Munich using a Bayern-Ticket, the bus will be included.

Posted by
362 posts

If you do go to Neuschwanstein, you may want to also walk down to the lake. There are some lovely views there and many swans who seem to know when to pose for a photo! ;-)

Posted by
1542 posts

By all means take pictures from Marienbrucke, then cross it and hike up the wooded hill (15-20minutes?) above Neuschwanstein, you will be able to take a few shots that few others do from high behind the castle. I love this area. As mentioned, walk around The Alpsee as well if you have the time.

Posted by
381 posts

I like your thinking!!!! We found the outside grounds and surrounding to be much more impressive than the inside tours. The tour of Neuschwanstein was very crowded, hurried and limiting. If we had it to do over again we would spend our time outside and forego the insides!

Posted by
52 posts

Hi Tom,

As someone who also has a bit of a photography hobby, I too was looking forward to shooting Neuschwanstein two when I was there two weeks ago, only to find that the entire front was encased in scaffolding and mesh, which really didn't make for much of a photo (see one of my shots here: https://flic.kr/p/URceHW )

You can certainly hike back to Mary's Bridge and take the shot everyone else has, but know that you will still have this look in your image as they have the entire front facade wrapped, front to back. There are a few spots where you can grab a unobstructed views of the building itself, but prepare yourself for the hoards of tourists with toting selfie sticks to jump in and out of your shots.

Best of luck!
RF

Posted by
306 posts

Thanks everyone for your help esp re Marienbrücke and the other good spots.

Robert, I have to give you a huge thank you! I have a long life list of iconic spots I've visited specifically so I could take that one special photo, only to find the perfect shot completely shrouded in scaffolding! The entire altar in the cathedral in Sevilla had been replaced by a full size computer generated replica of what we couldn't really see when I was there a few years back!! Most recently, day before yesterday, I walked down Kaufingerstraße in München, turned right to shoot the Frauenkirche, and found one of the towers completely canvas covered except for the onion come! I just about lost it! So today, while my companion and I were contemplating a day trip to Neuschwanstein, and I read your prescient forewarning, I was ecstatic to know ahead of time that it could happen again! My buddy exploded when I showed him your pic because he knew I'd be completely insufferable the whole rest of our bucket list trip together if I had been surprised! Thank you!!!