standingdouble

Hi!
This summer we are going in South Germany and would visit the 4 Ludwig castles:
Neuschwanstein
Hohenschwangau
Linderhof
Herrenchiemsee

I know that Neuschwanstein is great,but
I would know if all the interior of the all castles are worth to be visiting...

Approximately how much time take the visit?

It is possible to visit only the exterior gardens?

thank you

indytravel

Neuschwanstein - An empty shell, virtually nothing inside. The throne room has some great tile work. The ballroom has some beautiful woodwork but there are no furnishings. If you can, hike up behind the castle to the bridge over the stream. The view down to the castle is worth the hike.

There is not much in the way of gardens. It's kinda perched on a hump with little real estate for that.

In 1990 in August I waited 3 hours to get into Neuschwanstein. In early May of 2000 I practically walked right in. If I'm not mistaken I think they have timed tickets now.

Hohenschwangau - Ludwig's parents' home. Filled with old books, carpets, art, statues, furniture etc. Lots of cool things to see if you like antiques. It didn't seem very big or castle like. It felt more like the inside of your almost rich uncle's house.

This is the same as Neu. Perched on a hump there are very few gardens.

May of 2000 I walked right into this one.

Linderhof - The only castle finished by Ludwig. The grotto is a fake cave and surreal is the only way I can think to describe it. The castle is small and beautiful with exquisite gardens. The gardens have fountains flowing, flower plantings and statuary. The castle has nice fabrics and furnishings with paintings and such. Lots of marble work.

May of 2000 it was a minimal wait of less than an hour.

Herrenchiemsee - On an island this is Ludwig's incarnation of the Palace at Versailles. Over the top ornate with lots of stuff inside. I especially liked going from the opulence of most of the castle into the area where Ludwig had run out of money. The gardens are pretty to stroll and large. You can walk much of the island too.

May of 2000 I had a minimal wait for this castle too.

treplow

"indytravel" gives an excellent summary and evaluation of Ludwig II's castles and palaces.

In my opinion, Herrenchiemsee is a "must-see", especially since it is so easy to get to by train or car from Munich or Salzburg. Check it out, but in the summer they have some evening concerts in the Hall of Mirrors, when all the candles are lit. I don't know the web site of the "Kurverwaltung Prien" (tourist office), but you might want to check that one out. I'm always staying in Prien, again toward the end of this month.

While you are taking the boat to the island, take one that also allows you a stopover at the Fraueninsel (Herreninsel= gentlemen's island; Fraueninsel = women's island) It has a nice convent and great view of the mountains (Kampenwand, etc.) in the background.

Linderhof really is in a class by itself, because it is a good reflection of Ludwig's weird state of mind. It's not too hard to get to by car (Munich - Garmisch autobahn, get off at Oberau, Ettal), but by train it's out of the way.

RufusTFirefly

Actually, a dozen or more of Neuschwanstein's rooms were completed and furnished. Some of the finest late 19th Century artisans worked on these rooms, and the craftsmanship shows--especially in the woodworking (though the themes do reflect Ludwig's somewhat questionable taste). The setting of Neuschwanstein from the distance is quite stunning.

ThinGorjus

Rufus T. Firefly and I always get into a boxing match over Neuschwanstein. I ABSOLUTELY LOATHE IT. It is the epitome of bad taste

I must be suffering from amnesia because I don't recall any furniture in the castle at all, save for a few chairs. I would rather have my hands slammed in a car door than go back for a visit.

FauxSteMarie

Interesting thread. I will be in the area in early October. I have been to Neuschwanstein and Linderhoff before but not Hohenschwangau and Herrinchiernsee. I already had Hohenschwangau on the list for this time but was unfamiliar with the other one, so thanks for the information.

I did find Linderhoff fascinating but found Neuschwanstein not as interesting for the reasons mentioned by others.

I will be home exchanging in Scheidigg/Allgau. I just bought my air ticket so I am just beginning to plan the rest of the trip.

RufusTFirefly

Chacon á son gout.

TexasAggie

When I visited Neuschwanstein in 2002 there were several rooms with furnishings. The view from the suspended bridge over the gorge is amazing.

FauxSteMarie

I haven't been on this site for awhile and was going through my old posts and saw this one.

I never got to see any of the Ludwig castles I had on my list in September 2005 during my home exchange in Scheidigg in Bavaria near the Austrian border. However I did see the "Ludwig 2" musical in Fussen and it is nothing short of fantastic. I do not speak German (well some pidgin) but you do not need German to enjoy the show. There is a summary in English you can pick up before the show which helps a lot. Everything about the show was fantastic and I see a lot of theater and am not easily impressed. The special effects are especially wonderful.

So, if you are going to be near Fussen, I would not miss this.

traveldawg

NEUSCHWANSTEIN: Location, location, location. The castle is on every German promotion you have ever seen. Go see it. The urinal in the men's room has a view that people would kill for!

HOHENSCHWANGAU: It is next door almost to Neuschwanstein. Might as well see both of them and you ever have to move your rental car.

LINDERHOF: Our favorite. When the weather is sunny and the gardens in full bloom, this one is great. Fun to visit the fake grotto, the grounds and the interior.

HERRENCHIEMSEE: Gotta get there someday. Been going to Germany since 1971 and have not made that stop. Next trip.

Dohlice

I read a good tip about visiting the castles. See Hohenschwangau first because that will give you an idea of Ludwig's life. Then see Neuschwanstein.

kellyee21

And after you visit the 2 castles and Marys bridge, try to save time to hike back along the Pollat Gorge. It is a beautiful and peacefully walk along the river and we really enjoyed it. When coming back from Marys bridge there is a sign to go down towards the waterfall. You go down there and then just continue on following the river until you get back out into the town. I think it takes about an hour or hour and a half.

txeagle

One helpful tip for visitors to Neuschwanstein. If they are "sold out" of the English language tour for the time that you want then just reserve the German language tour. When you go in for your tour there is a divider you pass where you get seperated by language (English/German). This is after you showed your ticket to get in. Just stay on the English side and you are all set. The visit takes 30 minutes more or less.

Although I enjoyed the castles, we had our best time that day visiting the aquatic park in Ruette.

L84SKY

Well there you have it!
Neuschwanstein is something you must see for yourself so you can see what the bruhaha is all about.
We went once and enjoyed it. It's a nice hike up a lovely hill and it was worth the visit. If you arrive early enough you can do the two on the same day. It doesn't take long.
MrSky and I opted out of Hohenschwangau simply because we wanted to ed to go to the baths in a nieghboring town instead.

nytraveler

Just to chime in on the anti- Neuschwanstein camp. It makes a fantastic travel poster. but once you've seen the poster you've seen the best of it - and about 80% of all there is to see.

My favorite is Herrenchiemsee - but I would far rather do any of the others than Neu.