I've had a fascination for castles that I've covered in a few different posts before - Alcazar of Segovia, Duffus Castle in Scotland, and various others in Frias and Lerma. Its no surprise that if I get to the castle capital of the world, I would try to visit at least one of them. Well, on two separate trips, I got to see two different castles - Castle Neuschwanstein and Castle Hohenzollern.
I wish I could visit both these castles with more time, and I definitely plan to go back to Neuschwanstein. This castle is actually deep in the heart of Bavaria, very close to the border with Austria. The castle itself is a major tourist attraction, and you should definitely book your tickets online so you don't have to wait in line. Be prepared to intermingle with many tourists vying for photo ops. One way to have it be less crowded is to go in the winter, but be prepared to have it be really cold. But it may be worth it, because the views would be pretty awesome: Castle Neuschwanstein in Winter. But this view is not that accessible unless you are willing to go on a hike. You can get a really good view of the castle if you hike along the path to go to Queen Mary's Bridge. But if you really want an awesome view, you will need to hike a little bit more to go to Pöllat Gorge, and you should get a view from the waterfalls that is much more off the beaten path. Castle Neuschwanstein has a very rich history, and you can read all about it here.
I would like to say that I got to both of those places, but there was really no time as it was getting dark, and I only got to take a few pictures. Must. Go. Back.
The other castle I got to visit on the other trip is Castle Hohenzollern. Burg Hohenzollern is a ancestral home (oh, the suffering) of the Hohenzollern family. Its another castle in Germany with a very rich history. I can never get tired of these castles.This is also pretty touristy, but its so big, you can wonder the whole place without running into crowds. Plan your trip here.
