Austrian castles or German
 

I suppose I have 2 questions. 1. Is the Schloss Nueschwanstein in Germany worth a side trip from Austria or are there equivalent 'castles' in Austria? and 2. If it is worth seeing what is the best way to get there from Austria using public transport?

Neuschwanstein is unique; it has no equivalent.

From where in Austria? It is only a few miles over the border from Reutte, but it is a long way from Vienna.

Neuschwanstein is unique, indeed. Nothing compares to this castle.

If you are in Neuschwanstein it is very convenient to visit Hohenschwangau Castle which is a typical medieval castle. Linderhof Palace is also in the area.

You did not specify where you will be in Austria. Salzburg has a sturdy medieval castle, but this is completely different from Neuschwanstein.

www.neuschwanstein.de

If you're in Salzburg, Chiemsee isn't far away. Another castle of King Ludwig's, set on an island in the middle of the lake. It's a rendition of Versailles, well worth seeing.

I think the best thing about Neuschwanstein is the view from Marianbrucke. The interior is only so-so. But, as traveller1959 says, Hohenschwangau, with its lived-in interior, is very close.

Will be visiting Salzburg and using public transport.

I would have to agree that the best thing about Neuschwanstein is the OUTSIDE.

Herrenchiemsee, OTOH, is the largest of all the Ludwig builds and the interior furnishings the most elaborate of all, including the larger-than-its-prototype hall of mirrors.

And it is easy to reach by public transport from Salzburg, too.

Interesting. We thought the inside of Neuschwanstein among the most fascinating of any castle we've visited. Especially if you are aware of the history surrounding it and the reasons the interior is decorated the way it is.

Some of the best 19th Century German craftsmanship is found inside Neuschwanstein. And it is certainly unique--very different from other, older castles.

Agree with seeing the outside only. I've been to over 150 European castles and the interior would rate low on my list for atmosphere and such. Didn't have a WOW factor. But I like old castles so much better.

However, the exterior is lovely and spectacularly located. The other King Ludwig castles' interiors are much more fascinating in my opinion.

Isn't amazing how individual's perceptions differ. A product of differing life experiences I would imagine.

I found the quality, complexity, and unique character of the interior design and decoration very interesting--not to mention beautiful and often bizarre. Some the woodworking is astonishing--not to mention the Grotto and other rather unusual confections.

I, too, found the woodwork to be incredible as well as many other details. When my husband and I were there we were almost shoved through on such a short and fast tour that we hardly had time to take everything in!

Prior to going on trips we always delve into the history and culture of each region. We even had books on King Ludwig and were very intrigued (still are) but were so disappointed in the rushed tour and scaffolding. We were there in October (not this year) so it was shoulder season. If only we had had more time to gawk - there is something so positively intriguing about King Ludwig's mysterious life (and death)! We have been to all other castles associated with him as well.

I find German history to be very interesting (one reason we went was to trace my ancestry). Both my husband and I just happen to prefer old atmospheric Scottish castles where all sorts of battles and intrigue and hundreds of years of history took place. :)

I love walking amongst ancient lonely ruins and taking my time.

How far exactly is Herrenchiemsee from Salzburg by train?

We have only seen photos of Neuschwanstein
in tourist brochures. It's colour, design and the fact that it stands alone on a mountain/hill is extremely striking.

Less than an hour by train from Salzburg Hbf to Prien a. Chiemsee.

Haven't seen it since mid-1968 but from what I remember, it was well worth it and fantastic.

Fuessen (for Neueschwanstein) is almost 4 hours by train, a full day there and back alone.

MvK

>Both my husband and I just happen to prefer old atmospheric Scottish castles where all sorts of battles and intrigue and hundreds of years of history took place.

Well, if you compare real castles to a 19th century fake...
We have plenty of real castles with hundreds of years of history in Germany, too. Neuschwanstein happens to be the wrong place for that.

Oh, definitely. I've been to over 20 castles in Germany (most of them very old and atmospheric) and loved them. :)

Hi Susanne,

I just came back from Neuschwanstein this evening.

I wasn't sure what to expect as I'm not so big on castles and my family and I have seen plenty of palaces and castles in the past 18 months so sometimes we can get a bit jaded about such things...

I have to say that I loved this whole area of Germany. The scenery is splendid and the architecture is quite fairy tale like. We only had time for Neuschwanstein, and what we didn't realize is that Hohenschwangau is literally a long stones throw from Neuschwanstein and you can see them both in a long morning.

The whole area, although touristy, is quite charming nonetheless. Even on an August Saturday, it was not too crowded to take away from our enjoyment. And I very much dislike crowds.

I rather liked the interior of the castle. The walls are decorated with various scenes from German legends and the castle itself is dedicated to Wagner and his operas which are derived from these legends. The heraldry of the castle includes a swan and swans feature prominently in all the decorating. I think it is worth it just to see Ludwig's swan shaped wash basin spigot! Yes, there is little real history there as the castle was never really inhabited for long as Ludwig died before it was finished. Nonetheless, it has it's original interiors and they were quite stunning IMHO.

I will say that nearby Fussen reminded me of a small Salzburg and that the mountains around Schwangau also did. Quite stunning scenery.

My husband and I are already planning to head back to this area as soon as we can.

The drive through this region is just beautiful.

Sorry can't help you with transport from Austria or other Austrian castles. (Although we have seen the fortress in Salzburg, and the summer palace there with its trick fountains, Schonbrunnn in Vienna, Chillon in Montreux, etc and still these other 2 castles are just different...)

We stayed at the Jagerhaus in Schwangau and had a view of both castles from our room. They are beautifully lit at night.

We had a wonderful time there.

gruezi