Neuschwanstein Castle

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The romantic Schloss Neuschwanstein sits above the village of Hohenschwangau, near the Bavarian border with Austria. Built by the troubled King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the castle is a stunning example of dramatic architecture, pulled straight out of a storybook. Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most popular sites in Europe, and tickets often sell out on the day, so book your tour in advance to make sure you don’t miss out.

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Guided Tours

Visit the glorious interior of Neuschwanstein Castle with a guided tour.

From Munich: Neuschwanstein Castle Full-Day Trip

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Guided Tour of Neuschwanstein Castle Grounds with Bus/Train Transfers from Munich

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Browse even more tickets and tours which include a trip to Schloss Neuschwanstein.

From Munich: Neuschwanstein & Linderhof Castle Full-Day Trip

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From Munich: Neuschwanstein Castle & Linderhof Premium Tour

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From Munich: Neuschwanstein Castle Full-Day Trip by Van

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5 tips for visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle | Photo: Einheit 00 CC-BY 2.0

Make sure you have your tickets before you go to the castle! The Ticketcenter in Hohenschwangau is the only place you can collect your tickets, so if you try to head for the castle entrance without picking them up, you’ll end up disappointed.

Horse-drawn carriage | Photo: Paul Pichota CC-BY-SA 2.0

Wear comfortable shoes for walking! Whichever way you get up the hill (walking, horse-drawn carriage, or shuttle bus) you’ll end up having to walk for at least 5-10 minutes to get to the entrance, and the hills aren’t gentle! There are also plenty of stairs inside the castle, so you’ll be glad to have good footwear.

Try to avoid visiting during July and August if you can - sometimes the castle gets so busy that tickets sell out by 10 am. If you’re planning to make the trip during summer then either ensure that your guide has arranged your tickets or that you’re ready and waiting when the ticket office opens.

Why not combine your visit with Hohenschwangau Castle? It’s also extremely beautiful and was the home of King Maximilian II of Bavaria and the young King Ludwig II before Neuschwanstein Castle was completed. Schloss Hohenschwangau is also still occasionally used as a summer residence by the Duke of Bavaria.

The Marienbrücke (Marie’s Bridge) gives you a stunning view of the castle against the gorgeous landscape of Bavaria. If you take the shuttle bus up, it will drop you at the bridge, so you should visit it first if you have time before your tour slot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s so special about Neuschwanstein Castle?

Schloss Neuschwanstein is the quintessential castle which people think of when they imagine a German castle - romantically placed on top of a mountain, with tall gray walls and turrets stretching into the sky. It wouldn’t look out of place as an illustration of the Grimm Fairytales, but the castle is actually far more modern, only being completed in 1886, and the king who commissioned it, Ludwig II of Bavaria, died mysteriously before the interior was completed. Its rooms were opened to the public shortly after his death, and since then its become one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe, drawing over 1.3 million visitors annually. Read more.

What happened to King Ludwig II?

The creative mind behind Neuschwanstein Castle, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, was a complex man who struggled with the duties of the monarch. He hated large gatherings, preferring to live in seclusion and design fantastical castles and palaces. Having grown up in the nearby castle of Hohenschwangau, he knew the region extremely well, and he first sketched the ruins which stood on the site of Neuschwanstein Castle in 1859, when he was 14 years old. King Ludwig II was widely considered to be mad, and on June 10, 1886, a government commission arrived at Neuschwanstein Castle with orders to depose the king and take him into custody. He resisted, but he and the local people who rallied to his aid were eventually quieted down by the police. He was taken to Berg Castle at Lake Starnberg. On June 13, 1886, King Ludwig II and a psychiatrist from the Munich asylum, Dr. Bernhard von Gudden, went for a walk in the grounds of the castle and went missing. After a search that took over 2 hours, their bodies were found in the shallows of the lake, and King Ludwig was deemed to have committed suicide by drowning. Many have considered this to be an obvious lie since the autopsy showed there was no water in Ludwig II’s lungs, and von Gudden’s body showed signs of violence. Over the years, many individuals have claimed to know the truth, from the king’s personal fisherman to Countess Josephine von Wrba-Kaunitz, but what really transpired that evening remains a mystery. Read more.

What has the castle got to do with Wagner?

King Ludwig II was deeply interested in the operas of Richard Wagner and became one of the composer’s most important patrons after Wagner ran into problems with creditors. Wagner, however, also faced criticism from the more conservative Bavarian government and was asked to leave Munich in 1865, a fact which so upset the king that he seriously considered abdicating in order to follow the composer. Wagner himself persuaded Ludwig to stay, and he and the king maintained a special relationship throughout the following years. Ludwig lent Wagner money to complete his opera house in Bayreuth. The mythology featured in Wagner’s operas were an inspiration for Neuschwanstein Castle, and Ludwig II even hired a stage designer, Christian Jank, to help with the initial designs. Many of the rooms inside the palace feature borders or paintings based on the stories of Wagner operas, including the grail legend, Tannhäuser, and Lohengrin. Although the castle was intended as a tribute to Wagner, he died in 1883 and never saw the castle completed. Read more.

What will we see on a guided tour?

Due to King Ludwig II’s early death, the interior at the castle was never completed. Guided tours visit the staterooms, which are on the upper floors of the castle, and include some intriguing examples of German historicism. The rooms are often designed to appear medieval, but the castle still had the latest 19th Century technology, including telephone lines, running warm water, and a central heating system. Visitors will see the Hall of the Singers, the Throne Hall, the Drawing Room, study, and dining room. Tours are available in English and German and take about 30 minutes. An audio guide is available in Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Slovenian, Russian, Polish, Chinese (Mandarin), Portuguese, Hungarian, Greek, Dutch, Korean, Thai, Arabic, and Hebrew. Read more.

Did it really inspire the castle at Disneyland?

Yes! It inspired the original Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at the first Disney theme park, Disneyland in Anaheim California, plus the versions at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. Elements also feature in the Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World in Florida and at Tokyo Disney. Read more.

Are there food options or do we have to go back down to the village to eat?

Café and Bistro is the name of the café on the second floor of the castle, which offers drinks and small bites to eat to visitors. Alternatively, slightly down the road from the castle’s entrance is the castle’s affiliated restaurant, the Schlossrestaurant Neuschwanstein, which offers Bavarian specialties. It was originally the canteen for the workers building the castle, and today it often hosts tour groups and other visitors to the castle. On days with good weather, you can enjoy the views from the restaurant’s terrace. Read more.

General information

opening hours

The castle is open from 9 am to 5 pm from April until October 15. From October 16 to the end of March it is open from 10 am to 4 pm. The Ticketcenter in Hohenschwangau is open from 8 am to 4 pm between April and October 15, and from 8:30 am to 3 pm from October 16 to the end of March. The castle and Ticketcenter are open daily except on January 1, and December 24, 25, and 31.

tickets

Regular tickets cost €18 or €17 for reduced categories including groups of over 15 people, visitors on National Service, disabled visitors, or visitors aged 65 and over. Entry is free for those aged under 18. A combination ticket allows access to Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee, priced at €31 and valid for six months, permitting one visit to each.

address

Schloss Neuschwanstein
Neuschwansteinstraße 20
87645 Schwangau
Germany

website

Official site: https://www.neuschwanstein.de

how to get there

The closest parking to the castle is in Hohenschwangau, from where you will need to take the 30 to 40-minute walk to the castle. From the car park P4 in Hohenschwangau, there is a shuttle bus available which can drop you off at a nearby lookout point, which will then require you to walk for about 10 to 15 minutes downhill to the castle entrance. The shuttle bus costs €2.50 for an uphill trip, €1.50 for a downhill trip, or 3 for a return ticket. Alternatively, you can take a horse-drawn carriage from outside the Hotel Müller, which will drop you off about 450 m away from the castle entrance (a 5 to 10-minute uphill walk). Carriage rides cost €7 for an uphill trip and €3.50 for a downhill trip. Disabled visitors are recommended to use either the shuttle bus or the horse-drawn carriage, or they should contact the Ticketcenter who can give them the name of a company which can provide transportation before 10 am, Monday to Thursday.

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