Saturday’s highlight is a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the most photogenic castles in the world.
On the way to the Buchloe train station we found a local farmer’s market and bought some Kase (cheese) for later in the day.
Getting there required a one-hour train ride to Fussen where a bus would take us the remaining couple of miles to the base of the mountain containing the castle.
Rather than use a day from our rail pass for such a short trip, we decided to buy round-trip second-class tickets. At the ticket window we learned of one of the best travel bargains we’d ever found. On weekends, DM40 (<$20) buys a one-day pass that up to 5 people can share to go anywhere in Germany. So a small family or a group of friends can take an outing anywhere in the country for less than 20 bucks. Who would ever want to drive anywhere with a deal like that?
On this outing we compensated for all of the days that we didn’t hike. The trail leading to the castle was steep and high (though not as steep as the pictures make it look). Beyond the castle, another trail leads to a high footbridge that puts you on another mountain.
If you go high enough on this mountain, you can look down on the castle from above. In one direction you can gaze out over miles of level Bavarian farmland, and in the other direction you see glacial lakes nestled between the Alps that rise abruptly from the plains. The fall colors were brilliant and everything was bathed in sunshine.
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- A view of Neuchwanstein Castle from the beginning of the hiking trail.
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- A closer look at the peak of the castle reveals a “guard” standing precariously on a ledge.
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- Marienbrucke is an ornate and very popular steel bridge overlooking Neuchwanstein.
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- A view of Neuchwanstein from Marienbrucke. We soon discovered this identical image on the cover of our German phrase book.
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- An ambitious hike is rewarded with a higher view of Marienbrucke and…
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- …Neuchwanstein from high above.
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- Looking one direction from the overlook, we see Lake Alpsie, the nearby Hohenshwangau Castle.
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- Looking the other way, we were high over the Bavarian plains.
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- Our research says this is the St. Coloman Church sitting by itself on the grassy plains.
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- After a long day of hiking, we finished the day with a meal at the castle restaurant.
As we thought about what this place must be like during the heat and crowds of summer, we realized that we could not have picked a more perfect day to come to this magical place.