The 19th-century Romanesque palace of Neuschwanstein Castle sits upon a hill in Bavaria. It was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in honour of his friend and esteemed composer Richard Wagner. It’s always noted that Ludwig paid for the palace from his own personal fortune and did not use Bavarian public funds. Like something straight out of a story book Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most befitting portrayals of the Romanticism Era of once up on a time.
AF’s Sacha Williams shares her journey to one of Europe’s most famous castles…
I visited Neuschwanstein Castle during the summer of 2019 and I’ve been daydreaming about returning ever since.
This fairytale castle situated on the edge of the Alps will forever hold magical memories for me. I travelled there with my Dad who was on a work trip that I got to go along to and couldn’t miss the opportunity to visit the castle that inspired Walt Disney and the iconic palace of Sleeping Beauty.
Neuschwanstein Castle exceeded any expectations I had and is even more magical to see in real life when you realise how vast the landscape is – and just how much there is to see. I hope you enjoy some of the moments that I captured…
- My tips for visiting Neuschwanstein Castle:
- – To get there we drove from Munich. It was a scenic journey and took around 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- – It’s one of Germany’s most visited castles so I’d suggest getting there early to beat the crowds.
- – The car park is situated at the bottom of the mountain and it’s about an hour walk to get to the castle entrance. There is also a bus, as well as a horse and carriage option to get you from the car park to the castle should you wish not to walk.
- – You can take a tour – but I chose not to. It allowed me to explore the area for myself and at my own pace which I really enjoyed.
- – It gets really hot in the Summer months so make sure you take plenty of water with you to keep hydrated.
- – The Footbridge (where I took some of my photos) is a further half an hour walk – but it’s one of the coolest and clearest view points of the castle. However, it may be something you want to avoid if you have a fear of heights as it’s 300 metres high up in the air.
- – And be sure to take comfortable walking shoes.
I already know that I want to revisit Neuschwanstein Castle. But this time round, I’d love to go back in the Winter months and see it all again once the snow has settled. But until then I’ll just keep daydreaming…
Photography by Sacha Williams.