Nueschwanstein Castle

we went to both nueschwanstein and hmmm the other one right below it last week. we were not planning but used a rainy day to do this. we enjoyed the castle- but a must see? no. we did stay the night right in the castle village- kinda neat and I thought reasonable.

"and if it is an absolute 'must see'?" Only you can answer that question. I found it interesting and worth my time, but that's my opinion. If you know something about King Ludwig's life and Wagner's operas beforehand, that can enhance your visit.

I really enjoyed visiting the castles though I found the tour to be rushed and could have been better.

We managed to do both castles in an afternoon.

Hi Lisa,

As Tom said, only you can determine if it's an absolute must see. While we were not overly impressed, we're glad we saw it and took the tour.

Although not an answer to your question, we liked Ludwig's Herrenchiemsee (Neues Schloss) better, plus it's less than an hour from Munich.

www.herrenchiemsee.de/englisch/n_palace/index.htm

The fact it's on an island and you need to take a short boat ride to it made the visit even nicer.

Paul

I really liked Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, but I don't think I would call them must sees. If if is going to be time consuming and difficult to get there, and if you have other things you would like to do that are more convenient, I would skip it.

In some ways it's an Icon (like the leaning tower of Pisa), so it's good to go once. I'm glad I went once but don't see it as a place to plan a return visit.

We went to the castle and it was not too far from Munich on train..maybe 2-hours..I know that every other hour it is a direct trip returning from the castle..otherwise you need to switch trains. It is a beautiful castle and you get to see some of Bavaria's wonderful scenery..the tour is very limited in what you do get to see,but I do recommend it atleast once...just get the schedule from the station in Munich and plan your day around that.

I saw Neuschwanstein by myself during the last century, and liked it well enough to take my wife back in 2002. Doesn't a repeat customer say something?

I'm not sure anything is an absolute "must see" (I've been to Paris twice and only saw the Eifel Tower from a distance), but I think Neuschwanstein is easily the most identifiable symbol of Germany.

If you are in the area, it would be a pity not to visit Neuschwanstein.....for me, it was like visiting the "real"Disney castle from my childhood.I loved it but would not necessarily make a return visit as here are lots of other fantastic places to see in Bavaria. Not only that, but the first visit to a tourist place like this is generally the most lasting impression.

Lisa,

I really enjoyed my visit to Neuschwanstein Castle and found the history very interesting.

I chose to take a day tour with Radius Tours, rather than go on my own. They took care of all the transportation arrangements to Fussen, and the tickets for the Castle tour (the tour inside the Castle is conducted by their "official" Guides).

As someone else mentioned, taking a tour provided only limited time to look around the area, but my primary goal was to see the Castle. I'd certainly recommend Radius (they have an office in the Munich trains station). As I recall, the tour was about six hours and I was back in Munich in the late afternoon.

Happy travels!

One thing to note is that it really will take up the whole day if you choose to see it and travel with public transportation. Some pluses are that you do get to journey down there through beautiful landscapes and it can be a chance to get closer to the Alps. Neuschwanstein is interesting, however, I was a bit disappointed with the castle in general. I think there are so many other things to see in Munich and close by that if that's your main priority, you could stay there and maybe explore some closer places.

I just got back from a trip to Europe, and we went to Neuschwanstein on a day trip from Munich. The train trip is about 2 hours and requires 1 or 2 switches. We hiked to the castles along a really nice bike path (bike rental shop was closed). The tours were very rushed through the castles, but they were both beautiful. I wouldn't call it a "must see," but they are quite impressive. Just take your time getting there and don't get caught up in the rush of the tours!