hworth1976

Just gathering thoughts on experiences with some of the southern castles. We are planning to spend 2 nights in Fussen, Germany in a few weeks. I had planned to see Neuschwanstein for sure. I know there are people who believe strongly on both sides of to see or not to see, authentic or not etc but what about Hohenschwangau and Linderhof? We plan to spend one day doing Castles and another exploring the nearby small towns like Oberammergau and possibly Wierskirche. Possibly something like this but split into 2 days...
http://www.europeancastlestours.com/...rs.htm#Bavaria


We are a family that includes 3 small children (10,8 and 6) but my sons are super excited about the Castles. I say that now as I'm sure they could get old quick. So what do you recommend for kids? Any better than others?

Thanks!
Heather

Pegontheroad

My guess is that your kids will love the castles. Hohenschwangau is more "homey," because Ludwig and his family actually lived there, whereas Neu Schwanstein is his fantasy castle.

Linderhof has some features that kids might especially like, such as the Venus Grotto with the swan boat and the dining room, with the table that rises from the kitchen into the room. Apparently Ludwig didn't want to bother with looking at servants when he ate. Also it is spectacular.

Pegontheroad

Oh, my favorite German castle is Burg Eltz, bear Cochem. It looks like the castles in fairy tales.

hworth1976

Thanks Peg. Is it possible to do all 3 in 1 day?

Adelaidean

Fuessen is gorgeous, a really nice place to stay a few days. Your kids might like the horse and buggy ride up to the castle too. Nearby is the cablecar up Tegelberg, lovely views. My son enjoyed watching the paragliders up there.

bigtyke

If you get to the Rhine area, go to Burg Rheinfels at St. Goar. A large ruin with numerous dark passageways. You can explore it and not have to only see it with a tour.

neckervd

What do you mean with "castle"?
bigger or smaller mostly 17th-19th Century palaces of local rulers without any defence function, like Ludwigsburg, Sanssouci and most Bavarian "castles"?
Medieval fortresses like Marienburg, Meersburg, Burghausen, Coburg, Willibaldsburg, Asperg, Tuebingen, Schaffhausen?
There is a huge difference between these 2 kinds of buildings

Dukey1

I, personally, would not try to do all three in one day. I think the interior decoration in Linderhof is perhaps (of the three) the most interesting.

All of the buildings are "authentic."

The palace at Herrenchiemsee is the largest and most elaborately decorated of all the "builds" but it doesn't have that iconic look that Neuschwanstein has.

As to Oberammergau, get ready for a lot of somewhat identical-appearing woodcarver shops; the baroque interior of the local Roman Catholic church is worthwhile viewing IMO.

nytraveler

Very dificult to do all 3 in one days since there are a limited number of tours given in English - and I assume you don't want them inGerman. You would need to find out times and then see if you can sort out.

There is no question if thee buildings are legitimate or not. They were all built for Mad King Ludwig (king of Bavaria, then a separate country from Germany) in the 1860s for different purposes. Neuschwanstein was built to resemble a military fortress from the middle ages although it never had any military purpose.

Linderhof is more a pleasure palace (sort of like a wedding cake), like the chateaux of the Loire, but again, built hundreds of years after those were built.

Agree that we like Herrenchiemsee palace the best of all of them - but since it is built on an island in the middle of a lake and you have to ferry back and forth it is more time-consuming than the others.

I would do a little research and then determine which two your kids will like the best.

nytraveler

Sorry - there are many other German castles that are "real" - that is actually built in the time they represent, but many are ruined - at least in part.

I would think the kids would like a real one better - seeing how they were used for defense, where the archers shot arrows through slits in the walls, learning about famous sieges, etc. But you know your kids best.

Fussgaenger

If you sense that it will "get old quick," I'm with you. These non-castles offer structured tours that involve a lot of history that simply will not engage most children that age.

"What do you recommend for kids?"

For Fuessen: one and done. But if you'll be in MUNICH then you can probably skip Fuessen if you visit NYMPHENBURG Palace. This complex offers much more to see and do - not just a palace but also for example the Marstallmuseum with it's incredible carriages. Nymphenburg is King Ludwig II's birthplace.

http://www.schloss-nymphenburg.de/en...lace/index.htm

If you want a real castle, check into Burghausen near the Austrian border.

http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/engl...s/burghaus.htm

Pegontheroad

As to Oberammergau, I agree that the parish church is stunning. I liked the cemetery there too. It's been 15 years since I visited there, but I recall there were graves of soldiers, which I found interesting.

pja1

HI,

I'd visit Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. If you know the day you'll be there to tour them, reserve tickets in advance.

I would certainly see Linderhof on one of the days. Probably the best interior of Ludwig's creations.

Fuessen is very pretty old town. The kids would probably enjoy dinner at the Gasthof Krone in the pedestrian zone.

Oberammergau... I never cared for it. LOTS of religious wood craft shops. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. Just my take on it.

Try to do the Zugspitze trip, to the top of Germany's highest mountain peak, right on the German Austrian border. With a car, go from Ehrwald, Austria. Otherwise go up from Garmisch. For good cable car trips at half the price of the Zugspitze, there's the Tegelbergbahn (maybe a mile from Neuschwanstein) and the Karwendelbahn in Mittenwald (20 minutes from Garmisch).

Paul

Dukey1

We could have a major "discussion" about which, Linderhof or Herrenchiemsee, is more elaborately decorated but I will not engage in such. Be aware that Herrenchiemsee is a major, major destination for German tourists. It is Ludwig's "tribute" to Louis XIV and the interior mimics Versailles to some extent. The Hall of Mirrors is even bigger than its namesake at Versailles.

The supposed "downside" of a visit is that it will take most of a day once you factor in the ferry ride back and forth across the lake and if arriving at nearby Prien by rail, the trip on the smaller gauge railway to the ferry dock. The children may actually enjoy that, who knows?

pja1

No major discussion needed

It's all a matter of personal taste and preference.

We lucked out when we visited Herrenchiemsee in late October a few years ago, as there were just 5 people at the palace, including my wife and myself. It was about 1pm on a weekday. Even the ship going and coming back was near empty. It did take about 2.5 hours for everything once we reached the boat dock in Prien.

greg

Expanding on what neckervd said, it would probably help to understand the terminology differences between the German and the English names. I am sure the natives would be able to articulate better, but until then, here is my take.

Here are how related terms seem to map:
English to German
Fort(ress) = Burg
Palace = Schloss
Castle = Burg or Schloss

A Burg is a military defense structure usually built in the 16th century or before during the war times. They are usually in more ruinous state than Schloss. Reichsburg in Cochem, Marksburg, Eltz, etc. are well kept Burgs. Kids who see“castles” as military strongholds might like these type of “castles” if they can imagine what used to be there before the walls crumbled.

A Schloss is more like a showy palace for nobilities, like kings, built during more peaceful times in 17th century or later. They are usually kept up very well and ornately decorated. Their defense structures are more ornamental than practical. Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Linderhof, etc. are this type. These might appeal to those who see “castles” as fairy tale locations.

You might consider visiting both types.

Here is another take on the difference: http://germanyja.com/difference-betw...oss-burg-berg/

Adelaidean

My son loved seeing Neuschwanstein, although we didn't tour inside. The setting is just spectacular and we walked from Tegelberg to the rear of the castle (a lovely summer walk, about 2 hours), then back down to the town. He was thrilled to have seen it.
He also liked Rohan palace in Strasbourg and Koenigsbourg in Alsace. He was impressed with the exteriors of the Nuremberg castle and Salzburg fortress but felt they were too modernized and brightly lit inside, he was expecting a gloomy, 'Game of Thrones' type experience. I only mention this as there is often discussion about authenticity, when kids (and probably many adults) might not be that bothered about that.

hworth1976

Thank you everyone for all the great responses. We will be headed to Salzburg later in the trip and will be seeing Hohensalzburg there. My oldest son is very excited about the castles and would love to see old knight armor or what nytraveler describes as real castles. I would love for them to see some of the functionality or purpose of castles... That said, I do want to at least experience some of the newer castles and have dreamed of seeing Neuschwanstein for years.

Thank you Greg for your excellent description of the different types of castles/schloss/burg. That is very helpful

Paul, I do plan to do Zugspitze in the next location we will be for a few days- Seefeld Austria. I'm going to research the other things you listed as well. From what I've read, it seems like you should not waste your time if it is a cloudy day? A cable car trip is a must for us this trip!!

Fussganger- we start our trip in Munich but didn't have Nymphenburg palace on my list but now I'll look at it again! I did have Residenz on there because someone told me there was old knight stuff there...

Happy Holidays everyone. So glad I have help from you.
Heather