Bavarian Fairytale Castles
“Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch.” ― Hans Christian Andersen
Once upon a time, there was a king called Ludwig who was known as the Fairy Tale King or the Swan King or even by some unkind folks the Mad King. His life was anything but a fairytale, but he left the world a legacy in fairytales not just in the castles that he built but the interior designs especially at Neuschwanstein.
Walt Disney came calling and used Neuschwanstein Castle as the model for the Disney castles in Disneyworld and Disneyland. Ludwig might have impoverished his treasury and given his life for his dreams and ambitions, but he left the world a legacy that is still enjoyed even today.
A trip to Munich the capital of Bavaria would be incomplete if you did not visit and enjoy King Ludwig’s legacy to the world. Upon much reflection, I decided to book a VIP tour to the castles and took off in a bus with large windows, snacks, water, soft drinks and even a cocktail hour on our journey home.
I believe it or not came to Munich for more than castles. My first cousin and her family live here and I wanted to connect with them. Anjeli also offered to take me to Nymphenburg, but I wanted to spend the evening getting to know her and her family and so declined the offer.
Even though we were in May the days were cool and overcast with occasional showers of rain. We left promptly at 8:30 per schedule and as we drove out of the city, our guide pointed us to the left side of the bus and told us that we should be seeing Nymphenburg Castle, King Ludwig’s birthplace. Unfortunately, the fog was particularly thick and while I was seated on the correct side of the bus for the viewing there wasn’t much to see.
Now that I have discovered family here, I’ll just have to make my way back and visit the castle another time.
As we drove, we saw beautiful vistas along the side of the road. Villages with red tiled roofs, ponds, rivers, churches, snow covered peaks in the distance.
We had been seeing vistas of Neuschwanstein on the approach to the parking, but it wasn’t until we were parked and disembarking from the bus that we caught this beautiful vista of Hohenshwangau, the castle where King Ludwig spent much of his formative years.
Given that my primary objective today was to visit Neuschwanstein, I was happy to admire this castle from a distance.
The first sight of the fairy tale castle wreathed in mist up on a hilltop took my breath away. All those fairy tales that I had read as a child seem to come alive as I made my way closer.
I had done my research and took the shuttle from the parking lot to save me what was advertised as a 40-minute steep walk. What my research hadn’t told me was that it was still a 15-minute walk from the shuttle stop to the castle which did not include the walk to the Marian Bridge which offers wonderful views.
I did not take my hiking sticks, big mistake but nevertheless persevered both up to the Marian Bridge and down to the castle.
“Every fairy tale has a bloody lining. Everyone has teeth and claws.” ― Alice Hoffman. By the time I boarded the bus to depart this stop I definitely felt this adage.
We entered the castle from this inner courtyard after having our backpacks and bags checked, collected our English audio guides and got ready to begin when the first scale fell off my dazzled eyes.
I found myself in a tower climbing a spiral staircase that seemed to go up and up and up. Huffing and puffing and holding on to the railing (thank God! there was one) for dear life wishing for Rapunzel to let down her hair and whisk me up but she wasn’t biting today.
Then my whole being lit up when I saw an elevator. Unfortunately, it needed to be reserved in advance and could only be used by one person at a time and was certainly not available for the likes of me. Oh, and I also did not have an option to exit this level and head downwards, so up I went.
On the plus side the final level had an open-air balcony that had the most amazing views. Made up for all the pain and agony that I was doomed to suffer over the next few days, almost!
After a short rest over coffee and a snack we set off again through Bavaria towards Schloss Linderhof another castle refurbished and improved upon by King Ludwig.
I was pretty tired and ready to call it a day content to take a few photos from the distance.
Based on encouragement from a group of strangers that I had just met that day and I would most likely never see again, I braved the path to the castle proper and looked upon these gardens modeled after the gardens of Versailles.
The interior of the schloss in my opinion was a bit gaudy and overdone and though the gardens had their share of marble and gilt, they were beautiful, and I am glad that I walked the distance.
Herrenchiemsee is a palace in the middle of a lake built by King Ludwig that was modeled after Versailles, but I left it for the next time I come back.
We passed fields alive with the yellow of the canola flowers brightening the countryside. Yellow was the color on this trip starting from the Balkans and extending throughout my travels.
Mustard flowers bloom like this in the fields of North India where I’m from. Gave me a few pangs of homesickness, it did.
Towns and villages sprung up along the road like pictures in a beautiful picture book. Many roofs sported solar panels to take advantage of natural energy for heating and lighting.
Harburg Castle was the final castle that I got to visit in Bavaria. A well-preserved Medieval Castle that stands up on a hill. We walked through the various gates that lead into the inner bailey that is guarded by a real live portcullis.
I did not make the same mistake as I had at Neuschwanstein. I let the group climb the stairs and do the tour of the inside of the castle and walk along the wall walk. Instead, I walked around the bailey, enjoyed the views and got a nice cup of Capuchino and appreciated the beauty of the day.
In Bavaria many towns and villages still follow the traditions of Mayday and raise a Maypole. As we drove through the countryside, we spotted many of them decorated with symbols that showcased what the village or area had to offer.