Bus to and from Neuschwanstein Castle

Easily one of the most iconic sights in Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle attracts over 1.5 million visitors each year to the small alpine village of Hohenschwangau in southern Bavaria. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, lakes and forests, the castle’s tall towers and numerous alcoves seem very familiar to many tourists who visit each year. Why is this? The structure was used as a model for one of the world’s most famous castles: Disney Castle.

The castle was commissioned in 1869 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as his own quiet retreat away from his stressful life at court in Munich. Despite the fact that the castle itself never actually served any defensive purposes, Neuschwanstein was modelled after a medieval knight’s keep. Christian Jank, who was previously employed as a scene painter in numerous local theaters, was selected by the king to create the designs for an impressive fairy-tale castle which showcased romantic and dramatic elements both on the inside and out.

Despite its seemingly finished exterior, Neuschwantein Castle was never completed because of financial difficulties. King Ludwig II hoped to finance the castle’s construction with his own private funds, but ultimately ended up in debt. His irresponsible spending practices drew the attention of the Bavarian government, which ultimately decided Ludwig II was no longer fit to rule. In the end, the king only spent a few short months in his dream castle. An embassy was sent to Hohenschwangau to remove the king from Neuschwanstein. Ludwig II died only a day later.

Even though Neuschwanstein was originally intended to be a quiet and peaceful retreat away from society, the castle was opened to the public shortly after the king’s death and quickly became a popular tourist destination. Today, over 10,000 people visit the castle on a busy summer day. The romantic structure and its distinct silhouette is considered the picture perfect fairy-tale castle, and was even voted as one of the new Wonders of the World.

Neuschwanstain is conveniently accessible by bus. German bus company, FlixBus provides direct routes from several German cities. Those looking for a guided tour can take advantage of Radius Tours, which departs from Munich, and offers roundtrip tours in many different languages.