We will be in Munich for 2-3 days and planning a day trip to Ludwig's Castle. However, I have heard people raving about Salzburg - any suggestions on what to do? Will we be castled-out or is Ludwig worth it??
Posted by
NYC area
2961 posts
Hi Kim,
Very tough decision. I assume you mean a day trip to Ludwig's Neuschwanstein castle. You say "castled out". Will you be seeing a lot of castles on your trip?
Just an alternative for you...
Ludwig's amazing castle (palace) Herrenchiemsee is 1 hour from Munich. I liked it better than Neuschwanstein. It is located on an island in the Chiemsee. Chiemsee is a gorgeous lake with the beautiful Alps as a backdrop. I'd allow 3 hours for Herrenchiemsee.
There's a 15 min. boat ride from Prien/Stock to the island, then a 15 to 20 min. walk to the palace. The tour is about 40 min. long.
From here Salzburg is just another hour or so. Salzburg's old town and pedestrian zone is compact (compared to Munich). Very easy to see and walk. With an early start, you could possibly see both in a day. After Herrenchiemsee, you could wind up in Salzburg in the early afternoon, walk around the old town, have dinner and catch a train back to Munich.
Paul
Posted by
NYC area
2961 posts
Posted by
Nederland, CO
1521 posts
Kim, If I had to choose between the two I would definately choose Salzburg. Neuschwanstein is very nice and the surrounding area is pretty, but Salzburg has much more to see - the Fortress, the Cathedral, Mirabell Gardens, fountains, music......
Posted by
burlington
427 posts
salzburg
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
no question Ludwigs castles are terrific. But Salzburg is also lovely . both are very diff. If you have already done the castle visits, salzburg might be just the right answer for variety.
Posted by
OP
Oldsmar, FL, USA
33 posts
thank you so much for all your advice. after looking through some websites for each location, we have decided to go with Salzburg -- I am a huge Sound of Music fan, so really, it should have been an easy decision. thanks for nudging me in the right direction!!
Posted by
Annandale, VA, USA
18 posts
Hmmm...that's a tough one. But, I'd let your personal interests sway the vote.
If classical music is your thing, choose Salzburg. Note there are nice Alpine luges near Salburg and you're also quite near the beautiful Austrian lake district there (1-2 hours by car) if you're able to allow more than a day. There's a beautiful aqua stream that runs through, it's absolutely gorgeous.
In Fussen, we were most impressed by the small, yellow castle built by Ludwig's dad--the one Ludwig grew up in. Neuschwanstein (sp) is beautiful, but largely unfinished inside since Ludwig's creations emptied the treasury before his death. If Cinderella's your thing, go for Fussen over Salzburg.