Germany's Royal Castles

Written by Viator, August 2010

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Golfing, Romantic, Monument - Historical

The inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland, Neuschwanstein was built by King Ludwig II in the 19th century. Capture the grandeur of this architecture and picturesque mountain scenery on a visit to these extraordinary castles, the legacy of Bavaria's fairytale King.

Hidden in the seclusion of the Bavarian mountains, King Ludwig II built two of his dream castles, Neuschwanstein and Linderhof.

Elegant Linderhof, King Ludwig's favorite and the smallest of three royal castles, is built in French Rococo style with a fantastic grotto and Moorish pavilion.

On approaching Castle Neuschwanstein, it quickly becomes clear why this magnificent neo-Romanesque style castle is the most famous in the world. The shimmering white towers of the castle among the clouds are instantly recognizable, evoking memories of magical fairytale lands.

Tour ethereal Neuschwanstein Castle from the best vantage points: the lake, the postcard-perfect aerial view of equally beautiful Hohenschwangau Castle, and the waterfall gorge. This glorious folly was built in the 19th century by the famed "mad" King Ludwig II, a man intoxicated by myth and who himself became a legend. Learn the engaging story of King Ludwig's renowned and tragic reign, turbulent times, and the obsession that drove him to build his fantasy castle in the mountains and ultimately destroyed him.

Oberammergau is world-famous for its woodcarvers, richly painted houses, and the Passion Play. During the time of the bubonic plague, the people of Oberammergau swore an oath to perform the "Play of the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ" every ten years if they were spared – and have been faithfully performing it ever since.

Another fantastic result of King Ludwig II's vivid imagination is the Castle of Herrenchiemsee on Chiemsee, the largest Bavarian Lake. A replica of the Palace of Versailles, this was the biggest, most expensive, and final castle of King Ludwig II.

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Reply by Viator, September 2012
Doing what: Royal Castle of Herrenchiemsee and Fraueninsel Day Tour from Munich

Markus, our guide was superb! We had great weather for our travels,. The boat trips on the Chiemsee were wonderful. because of the sunshine and warm temps. Markus did a fantastic job of communicating in German and English..switching back and forth every few words so that everyone was always informed. We loved the whole experience; of course, the castle was magnificent, as were the grounds. The tour went smoothly. Would not have liked it if there had been rain, as there was so much outside activity in addition to the inside castle viewing.

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Reply by Viator, June 2012
Doing what: Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Day Tour from Munich

How amazing are the castle and palace.The walk from the parking area to Neuschwanstein was a hike so if your unfit be prepared and take the shuttle bus or horses! But give yourself plenty of time to get back to the bus, we didn't as we were trying to get to the bridge at the back for a great pic and were going to take a shortcut down the hill but when we got there the track was closed so had to run back up the stairs and then down the hill to the bus! But definitely worth it, even if they were resorting some and it was covered by scaffholding.
The little towns we stopped in before the castle for the wood carvings were very nice, if you plan of getting a German cuckoo clock get them here and have them shipped home, the prices are better than in Munich

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Reply by Viator, June 2012
Doing what: Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Day Tour from Munich

It was a fantastic day trip, be mindful of other reviews because it's true, there is no time to look around in Linderhof, which is a shame. And I feel I could have done with another half hour or even hour to look around Oberammergau, they have great gift shops and friendly people with yummy food that we didn't have enough time to sample. You stop at the bottom of Neuschwanstein castle for 1hr 1/2 or so, they suggest a restaurant, but I suggest you find another one on your own. We walked up and down, it was tiring but worth it, more enjoyable too. The tour guide was German, so it was hard to understand her at times and she repeated herself a lot. Overall definitely recommended.

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