My notes said “arrive at Neuschwanstein as early as possible, to avoid the crowds”.  Things didn’t quite go to plan; however I am not convinced there is any way to avoid the crowds in summer. This was our first day of sightseeing by car; understandably, Ian also wanted to spend time figuring out what all the bells and whistles mean.  We eased carefully out of the garage, down our narrow street, and onto the road that leads north out of GaPa. By that time we had the satnav working.  Ian wanted somewhere to park so he could work out things like the air conditioning, seat and mirror adjustment, lights and so on.  I noticed that Linderhof Palace was on our route, so we decided to pull in there for our stop.  I went for a walk while Ian did his familiarisation before catching up with me.  Like most (if not all) palaces, the gardens are free to enter, while there is an admission fee for the building.

A short trail led to the main attraction. The Versailles-inspired Linderhof is said to be Ludwig’s favourite palace, and the one he spent most time in.  It’s quite small as palaces go.  However, its Alpine setting is stunning, and unlike many larger palaces, it does not try to dominate its surroundings.  Ludwig certainly realised that grand buildings are best seen from a distance. The most impressive view is past the fountains, up the belvedere staircase, to the top of the terraces. You can look down on the gardens, and up past the palace to the grotto, then the mountains behind.

Linderhof Palace exterior

Belvedere staircase and gardens at Linderhof

Spectacular fountain

Formal terrace garden. Tiny people could sprint orienteer within it

Belvedere

We followed the route that our satnav selected.  It turned out to be a tortuously winding, narrow road up over a low pass, then down to a turquoise lake that looked very inviting.  Not much fun in an unfamiliar car, and we were glad to finally turn onto a four lane highway.  We realised that we’d crossed the border into Austria, only when we recrossed back into Germany!  Our destination was Fussen, and we manoeuvred through its busy narrow streets, past the old city wall, and across the river.  Now we were heading for Hohenschwangau, to see Ludwig’s two most famous castles.

As we approached, we started to realise that we were not alone.  The queue to turn into the main street, where the parking lots are, stretched back about 800 metres.  We inched our way along, wondering how on earth all these cars and people were going to fit in one small town!  Eventually we were waved towards car park 4.  The road was chock full of wayward pedestrians, large buses, and horse drawn carriages; not to mention frazzled drivers.  It was a huge relief to pull into a parking bay and switch the engine off.

The two castles are perched high on hilltops, guarding either side of the valley.  Watchers of “The Amazing Race” will remember the team that went to the wrong castle (which as we now know would have been quite energy sapping).  We were right under Hohenschwangau Castle (the “yellow” one), which was Ludwig’s childhood residence.  It sits straddling a hill between two lakes, overlooking the town. A short climb took us to the courtyards, and we had a good look at the exterior.

Castle perched above the lake

Hohenschwangau, or as we called it, the Yellow One

The main attraction took more effort to get to.  Ever since we did a jigsaw puzzle many years ago, Neuschwanstein has been on my list of places to visit.  It is the “fairytale” castle, inspiring Walt Disney’s “Cinderella” centrepiece of Disneyland.  Unfortunately it is also on the list of seemingly everyone else in Germany – the uphill road that leads to the castle was full of like minded tourists.  It’s quite a long steep walk, but very pretty and shaded.  Eventually you round a final curve and there it is. Once you get past the souvenir shops and cafes, it stands alone.

Close up, it looks quite different.  You realise that the exterior is not particularly adorned; in fact its lines are very clean and simple – except for one lonely gargoyle which can be seen from the courtyard.  Once again, its all about the surroundings. Ludwig focused his attention on the views, and on the interiors (which we skipped).

First glimpse of Neuschwanstein

Exterior closeup

Courtyard

Gargoyle, or Mad King? You decide

Leaving one queue behind, we pressed on to Marienbrucke (Mary Bridge), where the best views are to be had.  We were stopped in our tracks by another queue – the first time I can remember having to wait 15 minutes to walk across a bridge!  I could write an essay on social behaviour, self absorption, and a general lack of situational awareness demonstrated by the Selfie generation; or I could sum it up in three words – People Are Stupid.  Most of them were moving out onto the bridge just far enough to be able to photograph themselves with the castle as the backdrop; then retracing their steps and causing a complete traffic jam.  However the other half of the bridge was almost empty. People were queuing up to get onto a bridge that was only half full. It was just weird.  Anyway, we shoved through the throng, and I had the far end of the bridge almost to myself.

Madness on the bridge

Meanwhile, Ian had taken a small forest trail upward for an even more spectacular observation point. He texted me to say “come up!”  A short sharp climb brought me to the higher vantage point; certainly worth the effort.

The climb and queue was worth it

After three castles, it was time to head home. From tomorrow, we’ll be staying at our own Schloss in Ramspau.