Schloss Neuschwanstein
It is easy to understand how this castle in Bavaria could inspire Walt Disney for his fairytale world. Sitting high upon a mountain at an elevation of over 2600 feet it is a magnificent site. King Ludwig II built it for himself and it was ready for occupancy in 1884. Although, his time there was short lived as he passed away just months later.
As a senior traveler I found the journey up to the castle difficult from the nearby village of Hohenschwangau. I rode the bus which was
full to capacity and could not get a seat. The drive up was fast and winding, anddropped us off above the castle.
Benches, rest rooms, a snack bar, lockers, and a souvenir shop are located near the drop off area.
The view from the walkway to the castle was breathtaking.
The guests enter the castle at the designated time on your ticket and you are accompanied by a tour guide. No photography is allowed inside the castle. The preservation is remarkable and interesting to say the least. 
As we toured to the upper floors the spiral staircases were at least twenty five stairs and steep.
I noticed a few of these hanging around and with the huffing and puffing around me that was a good idea.
There is also a snack bar, restrooms and a souvenir shop inside the castle as you exit.
My first thought lwaving was how nice it was going to be walking down to the bus stop. Then I remembered that we would actually have to walk up the mountain to get the bus. Surrounded by such beauty and mild temperatures helped but it was a hard hike. And once again standing room only on a wild bus ride back to the village.
If you plan to visit soon you may want to check on accomodations and road delays. We stayed near Garmisch but had to backtrack towards Austria because the road was closed due to an avalanche.
We also found waited to get away from the tourist area to have lunch. The roads leading to the motorways have small towns with many places to eat and rest.
The drive to Munich took us less than two hours as we arrived during rush hour.
All of it was fantastic except for the climb, both mountain and stairs in the castle.
Alice
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