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Trip Report: Neuschwanstein and surroundings update March 2016

I'm going to spare you the full report. Here are some facts and findings from our Easter 2016 trip to Oberammergau, Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Murnau.

  • Neuschwanstein: Marienbrücke is closed for reconstruction until end of July 2016. We still got to take a similar picture of the castle. Just follow the crowd and ignore all the "danger of life" signs, climb up that steep rock left hand side of where the bridge starts and you get the same view. You'll want to prefer wearing good hiking boots.

  • Oberammergau: A tourist trap. Ugly, really not worthwhile. Unless you're German and can enjoy watching how East Germans sell crap made in China to tourists. Food at "Alte Post" is very good but the service is provided by Eastern Europeans and East Germans only and they apply their own charm (meaning: why smile?).

  • Linderhof: I'm not sure if one has to see the inside. I guess if this is the only such palace you've ever seen it might be worthwhile. Other than that just enjoy the park and the surrounding. Admission to the park is free.

  • Best local food we had: TripAdvisor was right and "Heimgarten" in Bad Kohlgrub had the best food - at surprisingly moderte prices. Also the service was excellent. Bad Kohlgrup also makes for a great hub (isn't ugly but also isn't really exciting per se).

  • Königs Card: Make sure you stay at a B&B, hotel, holiday home etc. that's part of the Königs Card (King's Card) system. It not only grants you free parking in many of the towns you'll want to visit anyway, it also comes with plenty of free cable car and chair lift rides - even the luge on Tegelberg is included!

  • Fuel: In this area gas stations are not in every town. And their prices vary heavily. On days that can be considered as standard departure days for tourists (Easter Monday, a public holiday, was one of those) a litre of gas is 10 cents more expensive there than anywhere else. Get a feeling for gas prices when you're there, maybe even install the Clever Tanken app on your smartphone to montior gas prices in a 50 miles radius or so. Refill when the price is right.

  • Unexpected surpirse: Due to a road closure between Wies Kirche and Füssen we discovered the Ettal road (along Lake Plansee and via Reutte - so a bit through Austria). BMW built a congress hotel in the middle of nowhere there (Alpenhotel Ammerwald) and the drive and the lake are actually quite nice. Also refilling regular gas in Austria is cheaper than in Germany (not Diesel though).

Please feel free to ask any question I might be able to answer as comment underneath.

Posted by
2779 posts

yes, of course. I climbed that rock above the Neuschwanstein castle together with two nice ladies from London (and a group of Indian tourists). It was a very fun, international, multi-cultural experience :-)

Posted by
12040 posts

I'm pretty sure the bridge is closed every winter for safety reasons, but as I understand it, this year they're also doing some maintenance. Is that correct?

I'll add that the grotto at Linderhof is definitely worth a look. It really illustrates just how odd Ludwig was. It would be as if Walt Disney built Disneyland for his own personal enjoyment and didn't let anyone else visit.

Posted by
2779 posts

Marienbrücke is closed due to reconstruction works until end of July 2016.

Posted by
11 posts

Thanks for the updates. I'm thinking about going in September. In general, do you think Neuschwanstein is worth the trip? I've seen my fair share of castles/palaces/forts, and I wonder if this one is special enough for me to take time from my day to do it. Thoughts?

Posted by
4 posts

Is the shuttle bus to Marienbrucke operating while it is under construction?