After New Year's Eve we finally have some well-deserved holidays, acquired suddenly. We need a place that can be reached in a short time and with costs incurred, given that we were unable to book and organize in time.
The beautiful Bavarian castles with a few stops in nearby Tyrol seem like the perfect idea to us! We organize the stages, book the hotels and are ready for a "last minute" tour. Here is our 6-day itinerary between Germany and Austria, 1400 km long.
Day 1: Ettal – Linderhof Castle
We've planned everything, we're pumped, we're ready... and we wake up late! A wash, a squeeze and we're in the car straight away. After almost 6 hours we reach Germany.
Tips for Trips: To get to Germany from Italy we cross Switzerland and Austria. In both countries, to drive on the motorway you must purchase a vignette.
The Swiss motorway vignette has a single cost of 42 euros and is valid for one year (there are no daily, weekly or monthly motorway vignettes). It can be purchased in all motorway restaurants in Switzerland or in neighboring countries and must be placed on the windscreen before entering any motorway in the country. If you cross through the Brogeda customs you can conveniently purchase it at the service station immediately before crossing.
The Austrian motorway vignette has three different durations: 10 days, bimonthly and annual. We purchase the first one at a cost of around 9.40 euros. This can also be purchased at all petrol stations at the border, must be validated by drilling directly at the time of purchase and must be placed on the windshield. In Austria there are also some toll roads, where the vignette alone is not enough and to access them there are the classic toll booths. On the way back we cross one to get to Innsbruck.
Before reaching Füssen we stop at Linderhof Castle, in the Graswang Valley. Of the three castles commissioned by Ludwig II, it is the only one that was completed. Despite being the smallest, it is one of the most sumptuous as well as the most loved by the Bavarian king who, in love with the French style, wanted to transform a hunting lodge into a small palace.
The castle can only be accessed with a guided tour but, in our opinion, it is unmissable. Room after room one cannot help but admire the boundless opulence of the castle and appreciate its extravagance, the result of the king's eccentric desires. Shy and reserved, he had the Tischlein-deck-dich, a dining table which, via a pulley system, disappeared into the floor down to the floor below where the kitchens were located. In this way the table could be set without the king being disturbed by the attendants during the meal. Nocturnal and industrious, he built the Room of Mirrors, so that each wall could reflect as much light as possible and be able to write even at night.
Dreamer and visionary, he built the Cave of Venus, an artificial cave with an underground lake where he loved to spend hours of meditation on a fairy-tale shell-shaped boat, lulled by the sound of the water. Underwater lights illuminate the stalactites, creating a very suggestive dreamlike effect. Due to restoration work, the Cave of Venus is closed indefinitely so we are unable to visit it.
Finally, although we were unable to visit it - as it is closed in winter - we also mention the Castle Park. This seems to be the combination of the king's attraction for the East, the world of medieval chivalry and the splendor of the Bourbon court. Waterfalls, pavilions, fountains and statues embellish the garden which, however, are covered in winter to be protected from the cold. We promise to return in the summer!
Castle opening hours: Every day (except January 1st, December 24th, 25th and 31st). April – 15 October: from 9.00 to 18.00. 16 October – March: from 10.00 – 16.30. Pavilion opening hours: Every day. April – 15 October: from 9.00 to 18.00. Water games: Every day. April – 15 October: from 9.00 to 18.00 (every half hour).In the evening we enjoy an excellent Bavarian-style dinner and take a tour of Füssen still lit up by Christmas lights. The city center is very characteristic, full of half-timbered houses decorated with drawings and frescoes and the shopping streets are decorated with typical wrought iron signs.
Day 2: Füssen – Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles
We wake up very early and leave for Schwangau, today on the program is a visit to the two castles of Ludwing II, Neuschwanstein And Hohenschwangau. The interiors can only be visited via guided tour. We tried to get the entrance tickets online, but for several weeks they have all been taken. We don't give up and head to the ticket office anyway. Despite a fairly long queue we manage to catch them with enough time between the two to also enjoy a tour of the exteriors.
Tips for Trips: Tickets can be purchased in advance online, a part of these is "unlocked" morning by morning, but the remaining part is reserved for visitors directly on site so arriving early there are no problems. The visits are in German or English with audio guides in all languages (including Italian).
Let's start with the very famous and beautiful “Fairytale Castle” by Neuschwanstein. The entrance can be reached by horse-drawn carriages, by bus or on foot on an asphalt route of about 20 minutes (our choice).
The castle was entirely designed by King Ludwing II who wanted to create a sort of imaginary kingdom where he could hide and escape his fate. Following the defeat in the Prussian war, in fact, Bavaria was dependent on Prussia in foreign policy and the king had to renounce command of his army, effectively becoming a "puppet king" without power.
The castle can be considered a monument dedicated to the composer, friend and idol of the king, Wagner, who considered his work almost like a religion. The king committed all his assets to the construction of the castle. All the rooms are decorated with Wagnerian motifs as if to make the entire structure a permanent theater dedicated to music and the arts. The exception is Throne Room which recreates a sacred atmosphere similar to a Palatine Chapel of the Norman Palace in Palermo. The top floor is entirely dedicated to Singers' Hall, the king's favorite project, decorated with scenes from the stories of Lohengrin and Parsifal.
Confirming the eccentricity of the sovereign, between the hall and the king's study there is a secret passage: a small artificial cave equipped with an artificial waterfall. Next to it is a small winter garden from which it is possible to observe the landscape surrounding the castle. Although the castle is inspired by a medieval ideal, it is equipped with all the most modern conquests and maximum comforts. The royal residential wing was heated with a central air system. Running water was available on all floors, even hot and cold water in the kitchen. The bathrooms had automatic flushes. The king called the servants via a system of electric bells. The dining room was connected to the kitchens (which were three floors below) via a service elevator to bring the still hot food to the table.
Of the 200 commissioned rooms only 15 were completed before the king's death: he lived in total only 172 days of his life at the castle.
Hours: Every day (except January 1st, December 24th, 25th and 31st). April - October 15: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. October 16 - March: 10am - 4pm.Once the visit is over we head to Marienbrücke, a bridge that crosses the Pöllat Gorge and overlooks Neuschwanstein, offering a breathtaking view of the entire castle. Unfortunately the fog covers the whole view, we go down to the valley a little disappointed!
SPOILER: After the visit to Hohenschwangau Castle we realize that the fog has cleared and Neuschwanstein Castle is visible again. We run to catch the first bus that takes us to the top and enjoy the fantastic view of the castle!
Hours: Every day 24 hours a day. May be closed depending on weather conditions.After lunch we take a tour around Lake Alpsee, considered one of the cleanest lakes in Germany. On the southern shore of the lake there is a small establishment which also offers the possibility of a rowing boat ride offering a splendid view of the castles and in the coldest period the lake transforms into a large skating rink.
The time has come for the visit to Castle of Hohenschwangau, which can only be visited via a guided tour. This too can be reached via a horse-drawn carriage or on foot via an asphalt path that runs alongside the woods (30 minutes) or a staircase that starts from the town center (20 minutes).
It cannot be considered one of Ludwing II's castles since it was his father, King Maximilian II, who had it built as a summer residence on the splendid Alpsee lake. It certainly had a decisive role in the life of the Bavarian sovereign, probably influencing his dreamer and visionary character: here he spent his childhood and a good part of his youth, very often hosting his venerated friend Richard Wagner. And it was precisely here that he became acquainted, thanks to the pictorial representations that adorn the rooms, with the various medieval legends: among all, the legend of "Lohengrin", the "Swan Knight", with whom Ludwig later identified himself, stands out. Upon his father's death, the eccentric Ludwing II had stars painted on the ceiling of his bedroom, illuminated by hidden oil lamps. This is the only change he made to the castle.
Hours: Every day. April - October 15: from 9:00 to 18:00; October 16 - March: 10am to 4pm.Happy we get back in the car, direction Monk. For dinner we make a small detour and stop at Oberammergau, a small town made very characteristic by its houses splendidly frescoed with scenes depicting the best-known fairy tales.