Neuschwanstein
The carriage taking passengers up the mountain passed us by while we handled the steep road on foot. We were about to spend the majority of the day ahead in a car then on a train, so the exercise was going to be good for us. We were really surprised at how mild the air was here. We expected this to be one of the colder parts of our trip considering we were up in the mountains, but it was about the same temperature here as it was in Nuremberg. I’ve heard this is because of thermal springs that run through the area. Whatever the reason, this walk was a lot more pleasant than we were expecting it to be.
The trail curved back away from the castle as it wound its way up the mountainside. As we broke the tree-cover into a clearing, the majestic Schloss Neuschwanstein rose high behind us. Not the mustardy yellow of Hohenschwangau or the dull gray stone of Niederhaus, Neuschwanstein is a brilliant white that stands out strongly from the rocky tree-covered backdrop. It is no wonder that Disney used this as a model for the castles at their theme parks- it is breathtaking!
Further up the trail the road twisted again back toward the castle. We stood in the bend and admired the view looking up at those white walls. It was from this bend that I took one of my favorite pictures of this entire trip – not of Neuschwanstein actually, but of Hohenschwangau! As all eyes were pointed upwards toward the fairy tale castle, we went to the edge of the trail and looked out over the opposite way. Far below us was the yellow castle, and stretching beyond that were the tree-covered mountains and a beautiful partially-frozen lake. I snapped a bunch of shots from here, trying best I could to capture the immensity of the landscape before us. Stretching out to the horizon, the towering mountains made the normally imposing Hohenschwangau look so small. Such a perspective switch from the view down below! We leaned on the wall and looked out, trying to just feel a sense of place here and enjoy this moment while we have it…
We finally reached the top of the hill and stood at the base of Neuschwanstein. It is amazing how many pictures we’ve seen of the castle over the years, both from a distance as well as the inside. But where we stood was a perspective not usually seen – from the ground next to the castle looking up at the towering walls as they reach high above us into the sky. It is difficult from those pictures taken at a distance to really see just how large this place is, as there is nothing around the castle to give it a size reference from that perspective. At the base of the walls however, that perspective is drastically changed as you yourself become the reference point. The castle is monstrous.
We followed the trail up past the castle back into the woods. We really wanted to make it out to the Marienbrücke, a bridge spanning two sections of the mountain that is supposed to offer the best view of the castle. Apparently, this is where all those great pictures of Neuschwanstein came from. As we cleared the edge of the woods we saw the bridge before us. It was a good bit narrower than we expected it to be, and wow that was a loooooong way down! We stepped out onto the bridge, and as we felt it bounce (and bounce it did) we tried to put out of our minds that there was nothing below us for over a hundred feet, then it was icy water and jagged rocks. The air ripping through the clearing down the mountainside was frigid to the point of being unbearable. What a difference in temperature between the trail and the bridge! The unsteadiness of the footing and the freezing cold air were instantly forgotten however when we turned to look over the edge…
Majestic.
That is all I can say. Simply majestic.
We stood and just looked out, holding hands through our gloves and doing nothing but admiring the sight before us. This was why we came, and this view alone was worth the trek up the hill, the touristy parking lot, and skipping out on the ticket line. This view, this is truly what fairy tales are made of, and here we were. We looked out and soaked it all in.
Fully across the bridge we saw the trail continue on further up the mountain. We considered following it to find some more views, but decided ultimately to work our way back down and head to the car. There was still one other thing we wanted to see in Schwangau before the drive to Munich to drop off the car, and we took our time while we were here at the castles. We crossed back over the bridge, and since we knew what to expect with the view this time, we were more consciously aware of the bridge itself. It was a long, long way down. There were a lot of people on this small bridge, and no one to limit the traffic across. The wood planks that made up the footway really bounced more than we expected. How old was the bridge again? And that cold air was biting, even despite our layers and gloves. We hurried across the Marienbrücke as I forced the approximate safe capacity numbers out of my mind. Heading back down the hill towards the castle was almost like stepping into a warm room from the winter chill. The temperature difference was unbelievable. The air up on that bridge was brisk!
Near the castle base there was a little snack stand selling Quarkballen. Beth had read about them while researching for the trip, but I must have missed that part as I had no idea. They were like round doughnut balls. I’m not really a doughnut fan but we had to try them. We got one order then started back down the hill. Folks, don’t get just one order of these. Get two. Or three. You won’t regret it.
We fought our way out from the tourist-filled parking lot and back to the rural roads surrounding Schwangau. A bit along the way we stopped at the St. Colman church. I’ve wanted to see this since we first planned to visit the area. It is a simple little church with a little surrounding wall that seemingly sits in the middle of nowhere. From the right angles, it looks as if this is alone in the most isolated field. I love that placement, that sense of isolation and standing alone. It was a beautiful building for sure and I loved its place in the landscape, but what is even more amazing to me is the landscape itself. Back home I’m used to the land getting more and more hilly as you approach the mountains – but here the land is perfectly flat, then suddenly the rocky peaks rise from the ground. It is a truly amazing contrast between the field and the mountains, and the church sitting in the middle of that flat land adds to the intrigue. I’m a fan of stark contrasts in nature, and it is one more reason I loved this spot all the way down in southern Germany…
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