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Nueschwanstein Castle under restoration - still worth the visit?

Hello. We are traveling by car from Munich to Salzburg to Vienna and back in 8 days early April 2020. We plan to visit The Residenz in Munich and the Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Treasury in Vienna.

We had also planned to visit Nueschwanstein Castle -- which is a bit out of the way -- but learned it is under restoration. Any updates on restoration progress, and is the interior tour worthwhile? Would you visit Hohenschwangau Castle instead? Or skip both and head straight from Munich to Salzburg?

Posted by
6590 posts

"Or skip both and head straight from Munich to Salzburg?"

The somewhat undeserved (IMHO) attention that Neuschwanstein Palace (not a castle) receives from tourists tends to obscure the fact that there's a fabulous King Ludwig II palace right on the route from Munich to Salzburg... and almost exactly half way. It's called Herrenchiemsee, and it's situated on one of the islands in Lake Chiemsee with views of the Alps.

And if you want to see a great castle, take an outing from Salzburg to Werfen for Hohenwerfen (falconry show there as well.)

Posted by
10177 posts

I agree with Russ. Both places he mentions are well worth a visit.

Posted by
1275 posts

8 days is kind of a whirlwind tour. Going much outside Munich-Salzburg-Vienna could burn a lot of your time. I guess it depends how much time you want to spend in your three highlighted cities. I think you can see highlights of Salzburg in one full day. You'll be spending a good amount on the roads. Not sure going to Nueschwanstein Castle is worth your time as it will take a day/night out of your time. From what I can read, all the rooms in the Nueschwanstein renovations are still open, you just have to deal with scaffolding and plastic sheets. Renovations will continue through 2022. I'd check before you leave. Hohenschwangau is a Schloss you could live in. It's a nice visit.

If you drive a dog leg route between Munich to Salzburg, then maybe look at Burghausen castle and old town. The castle is billed as the longest castle in the world. Overlooking the Saltzach River it is pretty impressive (border between Germany and Austria). I have never visited the rooms inside in the State Castle Museum. Plan for 3-4 hours there. https://www.burg-burghausen.de/

The Herrenchiemsee New Palace Great Hall of Mirrors is pretty fantastic. You just have to be ready to spend the time on boats to and fro and a short walk on the Island to get to the Schloss. The tours are guided and some in English. In April the gardens should be waking up. Plan for at least half a day.