August 6th - 7th: Ludwig's Fantasy at Neuschwanstein

Today we ride to Fussen / Schwangau in search of Neuschwanstein Castle.  As usual, the journey presented many ups and downs.

Why so many pictures of cows?   Rosemary loves them.

Bavarian countryside meets modern transportation

One of Fussen's many frescoed buildings.

A hotel at nearby Schwangau provided welcome relief from Fussen's overheated tourist jam.

A nice walk to the nearby village of Waltenhofen afforded views of a peaceful lake and yet another fabulous baroque church.

The church and its impeccably kept cemetery were all the more amazing given the isolated, tiny nature of the village.

The main attraction in this area is this: 

Neuschwanstein Castle is nineteenth century Romanesque Revival palace built on a rugged hill above Schwangau.  It was commissioned by the Bavarian King Ludwig II as a tribute to Richard Wagner.  So, a grandiose construction started in 1869, not very old by European standards - has seen over 61 million people, 1.3 million visitors annually - why has it become such a popular tourist attraction?  I'm not sure why!  It looks grand from the outside, perched as it is, high above all else. It was built by a king who suffered a form of insanity, who died in 1886 with the castle incomplete.  It was opened to the public soon after, so it has had a long time as a tourist attraction.  Getting tickets for it is as complicated and difficult as getting into the Vatican, though only 12 euro, which befits a 35 minute guided tour.  The best part?  The view from outside!  The 30 minute steep trudge from the ticket office to the tour gate!  Inside is a bit of a disappointment.

Ludwig already had a castle in which he lived across the ditch between the hills - it likewise looked grand from a distance - we never tested the inside tour.

A free walk around the castle delivered this fantastic ramble amongst the rocks.

The weather gods threatened after I dared criticise Neuschswanstein Castle.