We had a lovely tour guide who was very knowledgeable about the castle and the family history. She…read moregave us in depth details about each room and all the family members. The castle rooms are smaller and more demure than Neuschwanstein, making it more homey. The views of the lake are incredible too. The area itself is beautiful and there are some nice cafes and restaurants up there too. Well worth the visit.

We made reservations for both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castle tours and I preferred the…read moreway the Hohenschwangau tour was run. We were told to arrive 1 hour before our reservation but 30 minutes would have been plenty of time. We were in a small group and our guide made sure that all of us were settled in each room before starting. She gave us a brief overview before starting the prerecorded audio narration. I left feeling more knowledgeable about King Ludwig's childhood and family life at Hohenschwangau. The tour took about 30 minutes and there was not much to see afterwards. We had thought we needed 3 hours for this castle but the walk up was short, but 2 hours for everything was plenty of time for us.

So compared to King Ludwigs bigger castle Neuschwanstein Castle Linderhop pales in comparrison…read more It is still worth visiting: Gorgeous grounds, The very unique Grotto ( think Playboy mansion grotto from the 1800 hundreds). The castle itself is ornate but small compared to Neuschwanstein Castle.

Linderhof is the smallest of the three fairytale castles and palaces that King Ludwig II of Bavaria…read morebuilt. It was the only one that was completed....and he had plans in place to build a fourth one. The opulent palace was built in the Rococo style. It was built to be a mini Versailles. The French influence is seen throughout the palace. The location was chosen due to King Ludwig's familiarity as his Royal Family owned a small hunting "lodge" on the property. Ludwig moved modest home to build one if his fairytale masterpieces. Like the other two properties, no expense was spared. The palace is filled with gilded mirrors, chandeliers, walls and staircases. Tapestries and painting cover every surface from the ceilings to the walls to the floor. There are modern amenities in every room. Hot running water, flushable toilets and even a table that could be raised or lowered for private dining. His Venus cave is a nod to his love of mythology. The gardens are stunning. The fountain runs on mountain water. Due to the current summer drought, it has been placed on a schedule. So what happened to King Ludwig? No one actually knows. His love of building elaborate palaces and castles led him to bankruptcy. As he ran out of personal funds, he asked family members and friends for financial assistance. After a while, they stopped loaning him money, so as king he asked the Bavarian government to fund his projects. They said no twice. When he threatened to replace them, he was declared insane by psychiatrists who didn't actually interview him. He was committed and then within 24 hours, he and his psychiatrist were found floating in a shallow end of a lake. Coincidence??? So how was his debt paid back?? Six weeks after his death, the government took over his properties and charged admission for those who visited. A beautiful palace with a tragic mystery.

Lots to see and you can do a self-guided tour with an audio stick. Photos can't be taken which was…read morenice as it meant no one was pressed up against everything. We learned so much about the history of the families from the region. It was amazing to see some of the clothing and I really loved the 326 piece dining set, with each piece containing a photo of a place that was special to King Ludwig III and Queen Marie Therese. The whole Hohenschwangau area is done so well. It was busy but never overcrowded. The only long wait we had was for the bus back down into Fussën towards the end of the day. Well worth getting the Swan-Ticket to enjoy the museum and both castles. Be sure to book well in advance (as in weeks ahead, not the day before).

Interesting museum that ties in all the history. Good place to end the day after spending time at…read moreboth castles.

If this Castle was good enough for Walt Disney....should good enough for all of us!…read more Awesome over the top Castle with gorgeous designs inside. If you are a Richard Wagner fan this place has tons of homages to the famous classic composser. Stunning views. visit the bridge above for another great vantage point. There is a simple tour you get using a listening device and it is well worth the effort. Highly recommend.

Neuschwanstein Castle itself is absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately the overall tour experience…read morewas very disappointing and there is a lot that could be improved. We took the horse-drawn carriage up toward the castle, which was a fun experience and the horses were adorable. Just be aware that the carriage does not take you all the way to the castle -- you still have an uphill walk afterward to reach the entrance. One thing I really didn't understand was the amount of horse poop all over the road. There didn't appear to be any type of bag or collection system behind the horses, so as you're walking up and around this incredibly popular tourist attraction, you're literally dodging piles of horse poop along the road. With the number of visitors and carriages going through here, it seems like there has to be a better system for keeping the area clean. Our castle tour was scheduled for 1:40 PM, and even though we arrived about 40 minutes early, we weren't allowed inside until our exact tour time. Once inside, there are several flights of stairs before reaching the tour area. That normally wouldn't be an issue for us, but we were traveling with my 70-year-old in-laws, who simply needed a little extra time on the stairs. It would have been helpful to allow guests inside a few minutes early so anyone who needs additional time could make their way upstairs without being rushed. What was especially frustrating was that the tour started before our entire group had even made it upstairs and gathered together. The guide moved very quickly, spoke extremely fast and didn't consistently wait for everyone to enter the room before beginning the next explanation. At times she was so far ahead that the audio through the speaker was going in and out. The tour groups also felt much too large. Splitting the groups in half would make a huge difference. It would give people time to actually enter each room, see what is being discussed and hear the information before being moved along. The castle itself is gorgeous and I'm glad we saw it in person, but the tour didn't provide nearly as much information as I expected because everything felt so rushed. Between the tour organization, accessibility/pacing issues and the conditions along the carriage route, there is a lot of room for improvement here. Beautiful castle, but based on our experience, I would not recommend the tour.

This is such a hidden gem! definitely Worth your time! You can get a discount with you VAT card if…read moreyou're visiting the area. Be sure to check it out