Morning began with breakfast in the hotel which was a good mix of American (eggs, bacon, etc) with German (sausage links were Nuremberg brats and a selection of cold cuts, fruit, yogurt and musli). They also had the cool orange juice machine that actually cuts and squeezes whole oranges. After filling up we headed over to Schwangau to see the castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau and the museum of the Bavarian Kings. I had made reservations so we had a set time of 10am for Neuschwanstein and 12:20 for Hohenschwangau but we had to pickup our tickets at 8:30. I of course got us there early but after waiting a bit for the ticket office to open we got our official tickets.

There is a shuttle bus that takes you up near a bridge (Marien Brucke or Mary’s bridge) that overlooks the castle from above and to the side. I wanted to get some pics from there but little did I know this was a wooden suspension bridge with nice spaces between boards and very bendy boards (even Becky noticed).

This led to a quick dash to the middle and a few quick shots before we both bailed before soiling ourselves.

We headed then down the hill to the castle and our tour. We took pictures outside but they weren’t allowed inside on the tour.

As with most castles the level of detail and over the top items in the rooms were amazing but over all a probably crazed and lonely king who had a medieval obsession had put this place together and it showed. The Castle is beautiful and in a beautiful natural setting but it was never completed due to Mad King Ludwig’s death. After finishing we took the horse and carriage down the hill to then hike up the shorter path to Hohenschwangau the older of the castles and where Mad King Ludwig grew up.

This while of course being over the top was more furnished as a family retreat in the woods which is what it was for the ruling family of Bavaria. We finished up this tour and headed down to the Museum of the Bavarian Kings which houses many of their treasures (ones that weren’t seen earlier in the treasury at the Residenz). It also had an interesting room about the end of the dynasty after the defeat of World War One and the rise of the Nazis. Once we finished here I checked the time and we had just enough time I thought to get to a second castle Mad King Ludwig built (and this one finished) about an hour away with a quick detour through Austria.

The drive was a lot of fun as we went through the Alps across the border into Austria and then looped back into Germany to the Linderhof castle.

We arrived and got parked and ran up to the ticket window where we were in time but they didn’t take cards and Becky and I couldn’t find our cash (don’t worry it’s all good). A man overheard our discussion and had pity on us and got our tickets with his so we joined his family temporarily for the tour. Scott and his wife Betsy and their daughters were from Minnesota and we walked up to the castle with them and took see exterior pictures in this once again beautiful natural spot in the forest and hills. The tour started and this finished castle is smaller than the other two we saw but it is based on French kings and their castles (like Versailles) just on a smaller scale. Each room you go through is finished nicer and richer than the last. From gilded carved plaster and wood carvings to porcelain chandeliers, vases and frames to mirrors and silk it was unbelievable. Even more this castle was mostly used by Ludwig by himself (or possibly with select special friends) but it’s crazy to think of something this grand for one person. We said goodbye to our temporary family and on getting in the car realized the money was there and a set of failed hand offs had left it in the console. We drove back to Munich in a steady rain which was interesting and returned the rental car and checked in our hotel. We headed back out as we had snacked but skipped lunch so we we’re both pretty hungry. We had dinner at the Ratskeller restaurant which is under the Neue Rathouse (New Town Hall) in Marienplatz.

It was very pretty and each room looked different and we both had a good meal. This is our last night in Germany and will be a bit bittersweet to head back to Paris tomorrow evening but it’s getting close to time to head home. Frohliche Weinachten to everyone back home reading this!