Neu Schwanstein Castle

In Southern Bavaria, nestled in the foot of the Alps near the Austrian border, lies Neu Schwanstein Castle.  One of "Screwy Louie's" creations, it was built in the late nineteenth century based on the romantic visions of old.  Unfinished at the time of Ludwig's death, it has become a major tourist attraction, one of the most recognized castles in the world, and the inspiration for Walt Disney's Cinderella castle.  We stopped there on our way home from Garmisch.

There are three things to see in the area:
- Neu Schwanstein
- Hohenschwangau, a yellow castle Ludwig grew up in (you can look up at Neu Schwanstein from it)
- the Marienbrücke, a nice bridge with amazing views

You can see all in a day, but proper planning is required.  If you can, tour Hohenschwangau first (the tour takes an hour, I think), then Neu Schwanstein (a shorter tour, as only a few rooms were finished inside the castle), then hike up to the Marienbrücke (an additional 20-minute walk, with a fantastic view of Hohenschwangau along the way). 

Neu Schwanstein tour tickets are sold by time slot.  Ten years ago, you could walk up to the counter and get tickets for a tour within the hour; now, it's so crowded that you might not be able to see the castle until 6 hours later (that was our experience, this time around).  Without tickets, you can still get inside the main courtyard.

Hiking up to Neu Schwanstein take about 30 minutes and is all uphill.  Be prepared!

I enjoyed the views and the hike, but I must say I was disappointed in two things:
1) The sheer number of tourists (yes, I know I was one of them).  Over-tourism in Europe is out of control.  And this place is the most touristy.  Buses swarm in the parking lot.  The bridge buckled under the crowd.  Tons of gift shops at the base of the hill were filled with . . . crystal and other items unrelated to the site.
2) The castle itself is amazing, but not 'real' in the sense that it was built well after the age of fortification, and served no historical purpose.  It's just a king's hobby.

If we ever go back, I want to see the nearby town of Füssen.  It looked amazing from the road.