Schloss Neuschwanstein (stien half-full, stien half-empty versions)

This is an internet picture of Schloss Neuschwanstein, better known as Castle Neuschwanstein- the "Cinderella" Castle of Ludwig II. This type of idyllic image is typical of this famous castle, and what most people probably expect to see when arriving at the small town of Hohenschwangau. We had an awkward day of sorts touring the castle grounds and have decided to give you two versions of our visit. Both accounts are accurate, and should give you an idea about what our day was like. 

As we approached the Castle we quickly noticed that a major part of it was covered in scaffolding. We had an idealized picture of what it would look like, and to see it covered up was a tad disappointing.  Kind of like making a long trip to Wally World and finding out it's closed.

This is Castle Hoenschwangau, where Ludwig II spent much of his youth.

Once you arrive at the castle grounds, there is a "20 minute" walk up a winding road to the castle. The kids had fun running along the side the and playing in the snow. Horse-drawn carriages were also taking people up and down the mountainside, and the clip-clop of the horses was a nice addition to the atmosphere.

Hiking up the mountain might have been a bit easier with the right shoes. Christa and Will's shoes lacked traction, which would have made a climb up the sludgy hill much easier. It was especially slippery on the way down, but falling was not an option as horse poop had mixed in with the melting, muddy snow.  I know- we should have packed differently. We would have packed differently, but the family was under strict orders to get everything in one bag (yes, four people over one week, one bag)- thanks dad!

This was our first close-up view of the castle, from an observation deck outside of the inner courtyard. You can see the scaffolding to the right. As you approach the castle, all you see is scaffolding. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that only the side view was covered. 

View from the castle observation deck.

Entrance to the inner-courtyard of the castle.

Entrance to the inside of the castle. Unfortunately no pictures are allowed in the castle.

This is the entrance where we stood in line for our tour. The 30-minute walk through the castle gives you a chance to see this amazing residence, which is dedicated to the works of the German composer Wagner. As with the other Ludwig castles', this wasn't built for any political purpose, simply designed for Ludwig's personal delight in imposing architecture. The rooms are beautifully decorated and include amazing mural and tapestry work. The castle itself appears very large but the rooms inside are small; it really is a bachelor castle. There is a modern feel to it, as there is central heating, electricity, and an early telephone. Ludwig wanted a medieval looking castle with all the modern conveniences.

Once again, no pictures are allowed, so you'll have to trust us on how nice the inside was. There were roughly 50+ people per tour group, and the rooms were small. It was difficult to hear if you were at the back, and you had other tour groups on either side of your group as you were shuffled through. I do remember something about Swans being important, or maybe delicious, not quite sure.

Wooden model of the entire castle at the exit.

We exited the tour and wanted to make our way to a bridge where you get a view of the castle and the surrounding countryside below. The angle would have been the same as the picture above.

As it turns out our ride back was leaving in about a half-hour and we didn't have time to get to the bridge and catch our ride. One of the sacrifices of being on a tour for the day was the tight timeline (We had visited Linderhof and Oberammergau earlier in the day). There was not much time to wander around. We quickly slid down the hill and got back with minutes to spare.

Perseverance!

The local towns often have maypoles by the side of the road. They're covered with little signs that let you know what services and goods are available in the town, just like in medieval days. Looking for a cobbler, butcher, or blacksmith? Check the pole and that will let you known who works there. Very pre-internet. Our pictures didn't turn out well with the maypole, so I found this one.

All in all, our day trip was truly beautiful. The weather was -1 to +2, but it was like a "winter wonderland" outside. We got to drive on the autobahn (cars whizzing past) and gaze out at the Bavarian countryside for the day. Travel is often about being flexible, patient and finding the humor in difficult or trying circumstances. We are finding that is sort of the theme of the year for us.