Escape With Me…to a Fairytale Castle

Escape With Me

The Escape With Me Series are travel posts dedicated to being lost in the moment. I invite you to relax, take a break, and pretend you are experiencing a sublime moment of travel, starting with…

You are gazing at a bucolic village in a vibrant green valley, when suddenly you turn a corner and see a glorious fairytale castle on a hill. It’s Neuschwanstein Castle, a Disney muse and an original 19^th century wonder. With its white bricks rising from the emerald mountain like a regal king on his throne, you gasp in awe.

The colossal castle has spires and towers and an air of elegance, surrounded by the wild beauty of a verdant valley, dense forests, and the Bavarian Alps, acting as the crowning jewel in this majestic landscape. As you draw closer to the castle, the spell doesn’t end, and you can’t wait to enter its massive gate under its red-brick wall, with its view of a crystal-clear sapphire lake and the charming village below.

You know that whatever season it is, this castle will captivate you, enchant you. In the fall, the leaves are ripe with brilliant hues. In the winter, ice clings to every crevice of the castle, blanketing every tree and every hill with nature’s snowy splendor. In the spring, the castle awakes from its slumber, with every shade of green illuminating the sensuous scene.

In the summer, when you first arrive, the sun glitters above, casting everything into a sparkling, golden glow, and the air is fresh and sweet and the palace is come alive with fairytales and songs and new beginnings. You soak it all in, enjoying the casual breeze on your neck, and step into the sun’s warm embrace, drawing ever nearer to the magical mountain castle.

Fun Facts

• Neuschwanstein Schloss is a famous castle in Bavaria, Germany.
• The “Fairytale King” or “Crazy” King Ludwig II of Bavaria ordered it to be built.
• Neuschwanstein was inspired by King Ludwig’s adoration for medieval knights and rulers, including the legend of the swan knight Lohengrin.
• Neuschwanstein is one of Germany’s most famous castles, and served as inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Practical Tips

• You probably won’t be as dumb as me, but do NOT wait last minute to buy tickets! They sell out! If they are sold out, there are travel tours you can join, but make sure tickets are included.
• To get the best photo of Neuschwanstein, take a bus partially to the top, not all the way to the top, for the famous look out spot, or hike up to it.

Sources:

https://neuschwansteincastletickets.tours/why-is-neuschwanstein-castle-disney-castle/#:~:text=The%20castle%20at%20Neuschwanstein%20inspired,built%20at%20a%20Disney%20park.

https://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/idea/index.htm#:~:text=The%20foundation%20stone%20of%20the,king%20moved%20in%20in%201884.

https://www.exploring-castles.com/europe/germany/ludwig_ii_of_bavaria/