On tour – Schwangau
(April 2024)
It was a dream I’ve had for a long time – the beautiful castles that lie in the very south of Germany, and that had inspired Walt Disney himself to create his Fairytale Castle.
Well, one April day in 2024 I landed at Frankfurt International Airport, and was ready to embark on the journey. I had never been this far south in Germany before, so I was excited in every way.
Frankfurt Airport
It was an airport that was «a little» larger than what I was used to, so finding the right terminal to pick up the rental car was a bit of a nightmare. But, after 45 minutes I stood with the key in my hand, and 9,000 Euros poorer.
Then it was finding my way out, then… Well, it was actually easier than expected. Get in the car, start the engine, and through the parking garage (well signposted) and voila, you were out on the Autobahn, heading south.
Driving at Autobahn
At first I was pretty relaxed – Hey, this was going great!! But….eventually the fear took over….
Flat iron in the middle lane, and sweat dripping from my forehead.. There were vehicles everywhere. Five lanes, of which trailers and caravans made up the lane on the far right. To my left, BMWs, Audis and others whizzed past me, and probably perceived me as a single big speed bump, where I was «strolling» away at 170 kilometers per hour.
Did I dare look at my mobile phone? No way… I even chose to turn off the radio, because here concentration was the only thing that mattered.
I live in an area with a European highway – but, it is a European highway where you can stop on the side of the road, have a smoke or pee without experiencing other cars nearby. It can probably be 20 minutes between each car passing. Well, that wasn’t the case here..
As I said, I had never been this far south in Germany before, and stupid as I was, I had been a jerk when I booked the rental car. I now realized that it would have been nice to have a GPS navigation system in the car. The solution was that I – gradually – got mixed up between trucks and caravans, and entered the destination into Google Maps on my mobile phone. And, three hours later – and almost a battery and a fender poorer – I parked the car at the Hotel Waldmann in Schwangau. Sweaty, a little scared and yet a little proud.
Hotell Waldmann
The hotel was a welcome relief after such a drive. I had chosen the hotel almost at random, but it turned out to be a great choice. Hotel Waldmann is a family-run hotel, with very friendly staff and good rooms. I travel a lot, both for work and for pleasure, so I am a bit picky about hotels – the most important thing for me is good food and a quiet atmosphere. Here Hotel Waldmann was a bargain!
Lovely breakfast buffet, and a rich menu for dinner. Homemade food is something I appreciate, and when you also complement it with local drinks from the private Zötler brewery, the meals were complete.
Neuschwanstein Castle
The main goal of the trip – the castles – was within walking distance of the hotel, so early in the morning after arrival I took the car (ehem…) and drove the few hundred meters to the parking lot where you can start a great hike up to the castles.
Yes, I write «the castles», because in addition to Neuschwanstein Castle, which is the most famous, you can also find Hohenschwangau Castle in the same area. It was in this castle that King Ludwig II of Bavaria lived with his family, when he conceived and planned the construction of Neuschwanstein.
He became king at a very young age, when his father died, and during his reign he built several castles. Lindenhof Castle, which is located somewhat further east, is the only one he saw completed before he died.
Walking….
I started walking from the tourist information in Hohenschwangau, and after passing a small hotel area, you will see Schwangau Castle on your right. Fascinating and beautifully situated, and well worth a visit. On the way up to the castle you will also pass a small chapel, which the residents of Hohenschwangau are very fond of.
From the castle garden you can look up over the hill towards Neuschwanstein Castle, and it is easy to imagine that this is how young Ludwig stood and fantasized about his own castle while he was growing up. He and his brother Otto also had nice surroundings to play in, with Lake Alpsee only a few hundred meters away, and forests as far as the eye can see. I guess they – like me – spent their time exploring, building small snow huts or huts of twigs in the forest, in between trying out their fishing rods in Alpsee.
After passing the first castle, the walk goes down to Alpsee, and there you will find several interesting things. A beautiful view, but also a museum that shows the life of the Bavarian kings. Then I took a short walk through the castle brewery, before starting on the walkway up to Neuschwanstein Castle.
Interestingly enough – it is still the Bavarian «royal house» – The House of Wittelsbach» that owns both Schwangau Castle and the associated brewery.
Was it good beer?? Well…Zøtler was more to my taste.
There are a lot of people along the walkway up to the castle. It was said that this was a quiet day, with only about 8,000 visitors…. In total, about 2 million people visit Neuschwanstein every year, and the attraction is open 364 days a year.
If you don’t feel like walking yourself, it is possible to get there by horse and cart. Yes, one or two tour buses also go up this narrow road. But, as fit as I am, I chose to walk…
About halfway you can take a detour to Marienbrücke – which is a small footbridge over a gorge, but with a fantastic view of the castle. Since I visited the area in April, there was still so much snow on the terrain, so Marienbrück was closed.
Just before you get up to the castle, there is the castle restaurant. Good food, good drinks and a good view – and, of course, with an overpriced souvenir shop nearby.
«Did I create a VoiceMap tour on this journey? Yes, of course….who wouldn’t…» (CHECK IT OUT)
The castle….? Yes, it was fantastic – a real fairytale castle. It is fascinating that no one has ever lived in the castle, and that it is not particularly adapted for living in.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria is called the «fairy tale king» and «the mad king», and that was probably why he was eventually forcibly removed from the throne. But, when you look at what he had built, I can at least say that he had his imagination and dreams in order.
He also had a rather direct leadership style and appearance, which is worth noting. His construction foreman when the castle was being built was so discouraged by the constant new orders that he eventually chose to kill himself. And, one of the employees at the castle was told to always wear a mask at work – because Ludwig didn’t like his face….
On the way back to the car, it was a good thing it was downhill. My «camping body» wasn’t particularly trained to walk uphill all the way, but don’t get me wrong – it wasn’t steep or difficult to walk….just uphill…
Will I come back?
Definitely!! I really wish I had more than three days here, because this area and the landscape were fascinating. There is so much history here, and for someone who loves being in nature, it definitely tempts me to visit more of the German Alpine towns.
A surprise in the mail…
After returning to Frankfurt and taking the plane home, I felt very good. I really wanted to plan more trips to southern Germany.
But, one afternoon at the end of July, I heard the postman put something in my mailbox. There was a seemingly nice letter from a «Frau Michel» who works in the «Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe» in the Baden-Württemberg region.
Imagine, the German state has taken the trouble to take a picture of me and send it to me in the mail – probably out of goodwill, and as a service to visitors, so that they can put it in their holiday album or yearbook, and possibly distribute it to friends and acquaintances. Here I am, completely unaware, driving along the Autobahn past Karlsruhe, flat pedal in an optimistic direction, peanuts in the glove compartment, while mailboxes, female cats and Polish strawberry pickers splash aside, and I didn’t even think about documenting the experience myself – but, the German state v/Frau Michel has taken responsibility and done so. Very grateful, and I’m already looking forward to the next visit to the Autobahnkreuz Kassel, Heidelberg, and the valleys within.
Speeding ticket paid!!
