Michelle | Mary |
Once upon a time there was a lovely princess named Princess Michelle who lived in a castle so grand common people stood in long lines and waited hours to go see it. Unfortunately this is just a fairy tale, however, such a castle does exist. Mary's parents rented a car for the weekend and we took a road trip to what Walt Disney based the Sleeping Beauty castle from, Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. I tried to stay awake for the scenery along the way but due to traveling, moving vehicles put me out like a baby. I did wake up when ever I heard Mrs. Schroth point something out. From where we were going we could see the Alps and the border between Germany and Austria. We passed through cute little towns with cute houses that seemed to be more of a Swiss style. As we entered the area to buy tickets to the Neuschwanstein Castle, we noticed a long line and a list of times when the tour begins. In order to go inside the castle you must go as a tour. We arrived in Bavaria at around noon and the tour wouldn't be till about four. We decided to grab tickets anyway, giving us ample time to eat and explore. We ate at a restaurant in the area where the girls wore cute German outfits. Usually when I think of the girl German outfits I think of the short dresses like the ones in Anna Miller but the ones they were wearing were long and very tasteful. I ordered Roast Pork with Potato Dumplings. It was very tasty. I didn't like the sauerkraut though. After we ate we headed to the bus that would take us up the mountain closer to the castle. Since we had time until our tour we checked out a bridge close to the bus stop. The bridge was a bit sketchy but the view that came with it was stunning. The walk toward the castle is a bit of a hike. It is a paved road with a beautiful view. Mrs. Schroth pointed out some mountain vegetables that Koreans eat. When we reached the castle we had plenty of time to explore the surroundings outside of it. Inside the castle was pretty cool. The beds were small because they were shorted during that time and they believed back then it was better to sleep either upright or with your legs elevated, I forgot. King Ludwig II was the owner of the castle. He seemed to be a religious man and like swans very much. He had a thrown room with no thrown because he didn't get a change to build it. He had a little garden room that had large glass windows to see the spectacular view. I absolutely loved the view from the castle. Just thinking about waking up everyday and getting to see the view King Ludwig saw, it must of have been amazing. I wish I could live in a castle like that. Guess I got too hang out in Europe more and find me a prince. :) | My daddio was awesome and kind enough to rent a car for the weekend Michelle and I were in Germany. So, on Saturday, we went on a family day trip to go see the fairytale Neuschwanstein castle. We drove three hours from Stuttgart, where my parents live, to Hohenschangau in Bavaria. This castle is fairytale like and may seem familiar because Disney's castle is actually inspired by this real life one! Once you see the pictures and the castle in person, you truly do see why! In order to see the castle, it is required that you buy a ticket with a guided tour. Due to this minor inconvenience, we had to by tickets for a tour a couple hours from the time we actually arrived. However, it worked out anyway because it gave us time to sit down together to have a Bavarian lunch. I ordered my favorite; pork with gravy, sauerkraut, and knödel which is the potato ball. After our meal, we bought tickets and stood in line for the bus that would take us up the mountain to the castle. It's a short, winding road up to the mountain with scenic views of the valley and lake below. Once you get off the bus, make sure you make time to go and see the bridge first! There is a bridge that stretches over steep gorges with the lake below. From the bridge the view is breathtaking! You can see the castle as well as what must have once been the farming kingdom. I also must mention that being on that bridge was actually kind of scary because there were a lot of people on it at once and the wooden planks felt like they were moving and bending beneath all the weight of the people! In the opposite direction of the bridge, is the 10 minute downhill walk to the castle. (Poor harabogee had a hard time walking back up the hill!) The castle just looks so cool sitting along the sides of these great mountains overlooking the valley and lake. The tour of the inside of the castle is only about 30 minutes. The interior of this castle however is very different from all the Italian and French architecture and interiors we've seen the last couple of weeks. Photos are not allowed to be taken in the castle so I do not have any to post. Sorry! |