Note: This post has become quite popular lately and I feel that it is necessary to state that this is my opinion. I’m sharing it on my blog because there isn’t very much negative information out there about Neuschwanstein Castle and I think that people should have both sides of the story when planning a visit. If this castle is near and dear to your heart, perhaps you should skip this post (because I will not be bothering with any more hateful comments). I feel that this tourist attraction is much worse than others because of the sheer amount of crowds in the available space and the type of person that is drawn to it – but again, that is my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt and please don’t take this post too seriously.
The only thing harder than pronouncing ‘Neuschwanstein’ is having a good time during your visit there. I wish I was kidding. This is the castle that everyone knows about because it inspired the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Tourists come to see this attraction with stars in their eyes and glitter in their hair. Or so it seems.
Mr. Meena and I don’t usually do touristy things. I don’t have the patience for crowds. But we were in the area and it was in the middle of the off season so we figured it couldn’t be too bad. We started off our experience by paying six euro to park (not a bad price, actually) and heading to the ticket center in the 35° F weather. It only took about 20 minutes until I wanted to leave, but Mr. Meena insisted that we at least see the castle since we made the trip. There are plenty of websites that will tell you this is a fairy tale destination… and plenty of Germans that will tell you otherwise.
If you’re dreaming about visiting this castle in southern Germany, these are some things that you can expect:
1. Long lines.
This doesn’t even really need to be said. This castle gets 1.4 million visitors a year and up to 6,000 visitors per day in the summer months. You have to really be a people person or be really committed to seeing this castle to put up with those kinds of crowds. I felt suffocated when we visited in late December – and that’s the time when all of Germany is mostly cloudy and rainy and dark and few people want to visit here. And it’s not just the long lines that will sap your strength – it’s the number of them. First the bathroom line, then the ticket line, the line for the bus or carriage (unless you decide to hike up), lines for food or water or the gift shops or to use the information machines, gah!
2. A small castle.
Bus for scale.
What? Your brochure didn’t tell you how small the castle is? Surprise, the castle only covers about 8,500 sq. ft. with a floor space of nearly 65,000 ft. Now combine that with the fact that you might be visiting the castle with as many as 6,000 other people. For me, a small place combined with large crowds is a really bad equation. There’s nothing wrong with small castles – but I do think you should be aware of the size instead of being disillusioned. You have so many other options when it comes to beautiful German castles, anyway.
3. Lack of history.
I don’t really understand the appeal of a mad king. Even if I did, said mad king only lived in the castle for 172 days (and spent just 11 nights there); it was meant to be an inhabitable theatrical setting. Furthermore, the castle is not quite 150 years old and it’s unfinished (especially on the interior, according to those that have seen it). I’ve talked to Germans that think the ‘castle’ term is applied loosely, because it’s lacking the traditional components of most German castles (size, age, usage). Germany is packed to the brim with history and castles, and I would pick a different one if you want to experience more of the country’s past.
4. Long wait times for a tour in your language.
When we finally got to the ticket counter we found out that the next English tour was three hours later. Waiting for three hours would inevitably mean that we’d spend more money than we planned to at the site. Sure, you can reserve tickets beforehand, but we didn’t have internet access when we were on vacation (and we’re not that good at sticking to our plans, either). The French family in front of us in line also declined a tour when they realized they’d be waiting around most of the day for a 35 minute tour.
5. Lack of information without a ticket.
Photo by Isriya licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
There are machines near the ticket center that will let you see maps and other useful information about the castle grounds – but only if you insert your ticket. Basic resources, like maps, should not be withheld or very hard to find without payment. We had the same problem with Heidelberg castle when we couldn’t find the walkway to the castle and ended up taking the train to get there (we did find it for our way down, though). Of course, if you plan properly you can look up this information beforehand and avoid this situation.
6. Bridge closings.
The bridge where everyone gets to take the best photos of the castle (like this one) was closed. It’s reopening in May, but I will not be returning during the peak season. Due to the location of the castle it’s difficult to get a decent view without the bridge. I was pretty disappointed that I couldn’t see the waterfall in Pöllat Gorge up close either. You can check for these closings on their website, but who is going to reschedule a trip abroad because they’ll miss one view of the castle?
7. Taking photos is more important that respecting others.
People get more than a little crazy about snapping selfies in this place. There were people that took up 80% of a 15 foot wide path in order to get a full body photo. Some people stopped in front of the buses to take a photo and didn’t even realize (or care?) that they were stopping traffic. I couldn’t throw my trash away at one point because there was a camera tripod on the trash can lid. You’re doomed to upset someone by walking in front of their photo – it’s just plain unavoidable. It’s also likely that you will rear end someone that abruptly stops in front of you, in the middle of the path, to take a photo. We bumped into quite a few people that way. But there was only one situation that made me truly angry. I was waiting for a spot to open up on the interior wall of the castle for five or ten minutes. When it finally did I swooped in and managed to enjoy the view for less than a minute before someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned to find a man shooing me away so that he could get a clean shot.
I find that hand motion very offensive. It’s like I was a fly that was pestering him instead of a person that had also been waiting to take a photo. Why should his photo be more important than mine? Furthermore, why would he think he could get a clean shot when he was visiting a tourist attraction at the busiest time of day? Even though we didn’t speak the same language, the man could have found a more respectful way to communicate with me. I walked away instead of showing my frustration, but Mr. Meena was upset too so he went and stood right next to the guy after I walked away. We could have been a little more mature about the situation. But that hand gesture that said “shoo now, unimportant person in my way” made me angrier than I’ve been in a long time.
8. Vile language.
We heard a lot of different languages that day: Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, and possibly Korean. We also heard lovely English and Australian accents. But we also heard not so lovely curse words said at high volumes. When you have that many people in one place you’re bound to hit upon the percentage of the population that talks that way in public. Just a warning for those with kids.
9. All of the other unsavory things that come with tourist attractions.
Screaming babies. Mothers being mean to their children. Horse manure from the carriage rides. That bus driver that makes the ride up the mountain absolutely terrifying. Being packed into small places like sardines. You might want to brace yourself.
By all means, go and visit the castle if you want to. There are plenty of people that have had a great time there and you might too. There’s plenty to do in the area, including seeing other castles nearby (Hohenschwangau is just a short walking path away), lakes, and museums. I’m just being honest about my personal experience at Neuschwanstein Castle. I do believe that it would be a better use of your time and tourist dollars to visit one of the other beautiful castles in Germany.
Oh I love it! This pretty much sums up my experience there too 😉 Definitely not Germany's finest moment there!
Thanks! It's a shame neither of us enjoyed it, but at least we can relate. I'll stick to older castles from now on. 🙂
Oh my god, I love this entry! I went to Neuschwanstein in August and it was so, so, so packed. My travel buds and I decided not to even go inside, and opted to take pictures of the exterior instead. On our hike down, we noticed a tourist taking a picture of the horse poop (I'm not kidding).
Haha, perhaps they wanted the manure photo so they could share similar sentiments about the place. 😉
On a visit to Neuschwanstein, we encountered a family from California. "Look!" exclaimed the mom to her kids, "it's just like Sleeping Beauty's castle!" Her son raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Does Disney know about this?" he asked.
That's hilarious!
hmm, I'd like to visit it nevertheless
What a negative article. I loves my visit to Neuschwanstien. Most of the stuff on your article can be said about most tourist attractions anyways… long lines, foul language, pushy people with cameras.
I totally agree with you Quin. Going to any attraction, historical site is going to be like this. Pushy people are a dime a dozen. It didn't diminish the beauty of Nueshwanstein for me at all. I took in all the incredible visuals with my eyes, not my ears. I could care less about the Disney aspect…I went to see the architecture, murals, and views.
Well put. I have been there twice and it has been a stressful experience from parking to departure both times. The castle is as you say quite small and as I found it very kitschy. It is pretty, though, and beautifully placed in the mountains. The best option for viewing it, I have heard, is to go hiking in the surrounding mountains and look at it from there…
I’m sad to hear we have had similar experiences. Some tourist destinations are worth the crowds and hassle, but this was just too much. It does look nice from a distance, so I absolutely agree about the hiking!
Haha. I have to laugh because I was so apprehensive about touring these castles, but thought we might as well since we were in the area. First of all, we reserved tickets ahead to avoid the long line ups at the ticket center. We never heard foul language?!? What I agree with is the rude tourists taking the most ridiculous selfies. I am a selfie stick user, but the bridge was not the place to use one. It was so crowded it felt unsafe. People were jostling and pushing. Finally, I found a spot to take it all in, only to have people shoo me out of their stupid selfies. How ridiculous! The bus ride up was also packed like sardines and felt very unsafe. If I pay money to ride a tourist bus, I should get a seat. That said, the tours were super organized and we had great tour guides for both castles. The castle insides were absolutely breathtaking and all my negativity floated away. I told hubby it was worth it despite the experience. Part of what enriched my experience was learning about King Ludwig beforehand. He was truly fascinating!
Jules, I’m glad to hear that your visit went pretty well! It is a lovely place, despite the tourists.
I don't like crowded touristy places in general but I did enjoy the tour of the castle and they also have orchestra nights. I would advise walking up if possible. The path is nice and far better than the bus. I would also suggest visiting the actual castle Hohenschwangau in the valley below.
Thanks for sharing! An orchestra night would be very cool. I appreciate your positive experience and insight, if I were to do it again I would like to walk up. We did go to Hohenschwangau and enjoyed visiting it.
To be honest, these commments are what you hear about most tourist attractions, for one thing this fabulous castle and scenery has a lot of memories from my childhood, thus been the famous castle from the old time Ian Fleming film, Chitty Chitty bang bang , not one person has added this to their comments!
I live not very far from Neuschwanstein, and I never visit it, since almost every word said above is correct. I differ in just one point: The castle, if all rooms were shown, is quite large, but only the smallest part of is is open to the public – nowadays. When I was a child, we spent hours there and saw a plethora of miraculous sights. Obviously, that has changed radically. Pity.
If I ever get the chance (and desire) to visit again, I’ll have to be sure to see the inside – even if it’s just the small portion that you’re allowed to see these days.
I love your humor, well said.
This is such an unnecessarily negative review. For antisocial people who just can’t find anything pleasant in beautiful scenery, rich architecture, or the fresh air – please don’t impose your inability to enjoy life on others. I visited the castle in late December and quite enjoyed it. Have your hotel (if you’re staying in town) book you a tour – the main tours are all audio guided and run very frequently (every 15-25 min). I’m not sure why you had to wait 3 hours for an English tour, sounds like someone tried to take advantage of you and with your lack of planning….well… the path to the bridge was closed due to snow when I visited and I was very disappointed in that, but many of us were able to find an alternative path to make it onto Marienbrucke bridge to get the stunning view of the castle. Furthermore, inside the castle is quite beautiful. Anything “unfinished” is due to the king’s untimely death and is really not apparent if your tour guide didn’t tell you. It’s wonderfully extravagant and has rich elements/inspirations from all around the world (Buddhist pictorials on the mosaic tile floor, Turkish style arches and designs on the ceilings, Roman and typical medieval feel throughout the castle).
Next time you write just a generically negative remark (any tourist location will have all the things you mentioned – pictures, selfie sticks, crying babies, lines), offer some specific alternatives that DIDNT have all of those negative points. No need to senselessly hate.
Thanks for your feedback. I have visited many popular tourist locations throughout the world at peak times and none of them were as bad as this castle. Perhaps because it is so popular and romanticized it has drawn more of a certain type of tourist crowd. I think this negative review is important because people flock to Neuschwanstein expecting it to be wonderful. They should know that that may not be the case, even in the off season. I don’t feel like there was senseless hate in any part of my post, and I am certainly not an antisocial person who cannot find beauty in things, but I will allow your comment nonetheless.
Ava – I think you're great..I loved your review and, I agree, there is nothing "hater" or hateful about it…in particular, I'm always entertained when people go to YOUR site and tell you that you've imposed on them…as if you went and posted your opinions on one of their pages…your article is clearly titled, so if people don't want to hear negative opinions, they don't have to go to your site and read it! Anyway, keep posting…as I said before, LOVE YA!
Thanks so much, Laura. I really appreciate that perspective – it is my site, after all. 🙂
While Tourist123 has a good point, the negative review is also important to give a new perspective. Although the review is negative, I didn't find it hateful, just strongly voiced misgivings of a frustrated visitor, and of course there would be people who must have gone through the same ordeal. This review will help many people who are fortunate enough to have read this before the visit to plan ahead and expect the unexpected. Also Tourist123 has given good directions too. Overall a pretty useful blog.
Thank you, yes I was pretty frustrated about it. This blog is my place to get out my feelings and I’m glad that you feel there is some usefulness to it – I know many people didn’t quite appreciate the negativity. Thanks for your kind and articulate feedback.
Speaking of senselessly hating.. your opinion of the author’s view is something fierce.
Anyways I enjoyed the post. It’s refreshing to see someone give true examples of their experience. Plus the author gives plenty of points to allow readers to stop reading if they don’t want to hear this point of view. Perhaps you missed the queue?
Such a shame to read this negative post, Schloss Neuschwanstien is a beautiful building and will appeal to those who appreciate architecture, it is surrounded by beautiful scenery, again something that will appeal to those who appreciate this?? I'm not sure what your expectations were and maybe it would have helped to have had 1) an interest in visiting this place 2) A little research in the history and the story behind it. I do hope those that are thinking of visiting are not put off by your negative appraisal, such a shame if they are.
Rosemarie, I did research Neuschwanstein and have an interest in visiting it. I stand behind my negative appraisal – I believe that it would be a better use of time to instead visit other castles in Germany, such as Castle Eltz. This is my opinion and I put it out there because others may find it helpful.
The castle is estimated at 65,000 sq ft, not 8,000.
Thank you for pointing that out, I’ve corrected the post to include both figures (that the castle covers about 8,500 sq. ft. but has a floor space of nearly 65,000 ft.)
So sad to say that I had a very similar experience there. We cheaped out and hiked up the hill to get to it. I consider myself a moderately fit person, but that hike was brutal. Got to the top and then had to wait in line for forever with already sore legs. Once we finally go into the castle I felt like I was constantly being pushed along by the heavy stream of people behind me in areas where I wish I could have spent more time admiring the ornate decorating. Thankfully I didn't have the picture issue since I went before the time of iPhones. Overall the interior of the castle was a bit of a let down. Much of it is unfinished, so there were really only 5 or maybe 6 rooms to look at…I don't remember the exact count but it wasn't much. The rooms that are finished are stunning, but I am not 100% convinced that it was worth the lines of people or the cost of going to it.
Sorry to hear about your experience at the castle. It’s hard trying to appreciate something with so many people pushing in on all sides, isn’t it? At least you saw it and you know there’s no need to return.
All of your problems above could have been avoided when you guys had planned the trip a little better. I've been to the castle a couple of times (I'm german) and I've never had such experiences, even in the summer.. And honestly? I don't care if I ruin someones pictures. Literally DGAF. And just as a suggestion, if someone is rude to me, I'll just tell them instead of complaining on a blog about it.
We planned to visit in the middle of the off season and got there as early in the day as we could. What else should we have done? I’m not upset about ruined photos – I was only upset about the man’s behavior. There was a also a language barrier preventing from expressing my feelings to him in so many words. But it’s my blog, and I can complain if I want to.
My trip here went great! It was first week sept.crowds low and great weather. The only problem is the carraige up, it is so disorganized that it made many people angry and unpleasant. I cant believe they haven't figured out an organized way to fix this.
I’m glad you had such a great trip! Yeah the line for the carriage seemed quite long when we were there and it moved so slowly.
This is by far, possibly the STUPIDEST list I've ever read. I am dead. This was 100% click bait. And everyone agreeing, you must've never done your research. There were no lines. If you're complaining about people's language in a public place, literally keep your family in the "safety" of your own home. Sorry that you decided to go to a MAJOR attraction without doing research or reserving anything. Good luck planning any popular major tourist destination that way.
I find it hard to believe that there were no lines considering there is an average of 6,000 visitors per day in peak season, which I know from my research. We visited in the off season and the wait was three hours. We did intend to book in advance, but didn’t have internet, so we tried arriving early instead which failed us.
Furthermore, I have visited many countries and major tourist attractions. In fact, I am writing this reply to you from a shady neighborhood in Curaçao – I am not concerned about staying in the safety of my home. My point about the language is that it was so overwhelming – there was a particular type of tourist attracted to that castle and because it is small you all get squished together.
I do not feel that this was clickbait, just a different perspective that people should be aware of. But you are entitled to your opinion, as long as it is not hateful I will allow the comment to be published.
better seen from a distance! thank you for this.
Sorry you had a negative experience, but perhaps it was the time of year you visited. Or lack of research. Or lack of expectactions. We visited last year (almost a year to the day lasy April 1) and the experience was absolutely wonderful. But of course, this was due to several factors:
1) it was off-season and on a Sunday (Easter Sunday, to be exact) so the crowds were lower and we did not have to wait at all. 2) There were hardly any younger kids (which was a blessing). 3) We went with an experienced guide who gave us ample information as we walked up the mountain, so we got TONS of history! (Thank you, Michael). 4) Everyone was pleasant and respectful when taking pictures outside. We even had someone ask if they could take our picture instead of struggling to take a selfie and it turned out to be our favorite one. 5) We did not feel rushed through our tour and the castle was well worth the trip! In fact, it even began to gently snow at the top of the mountain and added to the magical experience. 6) While we did not make the walk to the bridge, those on our tour reported a great experience and took fabulous pictures.
Again, I'm sorry you had a negative experience, but you have to realize this castle is the most visited tourist spot in all of Germany, so with it comes some glitches. But I believe it is well worth the trip if you plan well and know what to expect ahead of time.
Lisa, I’m so glad you had a great visit! That does sound fantastic. You have valid points. We did visit in the off season and I had been told beforehand mostly what to expect, although not having any internet access on our trip was definitely part of the problem. I really just wanted to share that this castle may be over glamorized and not entirely pleasant (although that’s subjective). Thanks for all of this info, I hope it helps people plan better trips.
I just went to Neuschwanstein a couple of weeks ago. The castle itself is beautiful although I am sure we only got to see just a few of the rooms. The views were stunning (we had blue sky and the sun about to set). I was part of a group and tickets had been booked in advance. Everything went fine. Although the tour guide clearly advised NOT to take pictures, some of our group did so nevertheless. But that is not the location's fault, of course. We were here when it was an extremely cold day so maybe such days a GOOD for visiting because in the summertime many more tourists will be around, of course.
The little bit of history about the King I found to be rather interesting. He had a thing for music and swans. Some assume he might have committed suicide. Maybe he was a depressed soul. But I have not done research yet so cannot say for sure.
Some years ago I went to Disney World in Orlando and I we had – unfortunately – chosen July 4th. That day was packed (like PACKED) and I waited 1.5hrs in line for getting a pic with Winnie the Pooh. But again, it was the TIMING that was not good.
But as others brought out, being in public crowds always brings some trouble. Concerts: people talking over music, people being drunk and obnoxious, tall people standing in row 2 blocking about 8 people's views, many folks leaving trash on the floor because they are too lazy to put their empty cups in the trash cans…you name it, but I still go to concerts nevertheless.
In summary: Neuschwanstein is beautiful. Maybe come and visit places NOT in season and things will be much calmer. That applies probably to most tourist attractions.
So glad to hear that you had a nice visit on a beautiful day! We did visit in the off season (in December) and I was surprised to have the experience that I did. You’re right, you can see this kind of unwanted behavior at most tourist attractions. What stuck out to me what that there is so much beauty and magic associated with Neuschwanstein that people end up with high expectations. I do hope that a lot of people can have enjoyable visits like yours. Thanks so much for sharing!
I was there in May a few years ago and it was fine.
Not Terribly busy. Not and more crowded than any other attraction is. The bridge was closed but it was perfect as you can walk just under the bridge on one side and get a phenomenal shot.
It’s too bad that the castle was never finished though.
Glad to hear you had a good visit. It is too bad, that’s one of the biggest complaints I’ve heard. Thanks for sharing.
This blog article is bizarre to me; visiting this castle was a once in a lifetime kind of experience!! There is nowhere else like it in the world. Each to their own, but I guess if you can't stand tourists and queues, then that rules out a hell of a lot of places to visit really. It wasn't too packed when I went, busy but not unbearable.
Jasmine, I’m glad you had such a great time. I visited many other touristy and busy places in Germany/Europe that I adored, but this one just wasn’t for me. But a large part is meant to be sarcastic and ironic, since this castle is so well-loved by most.
It's gotten too well-known and popular over time and I suspect the internet has increased that tenfold. I hardly can believe some of the pictures I've seen of the crowds, Especially on the Matienbrucke. When I went there with a small group in August, 1966 there were people there, but not that many. After a 30 minute tour they let us just wander around. Times have changed.
Thanks for sharing, John. It would be nice to visit with less crowds – and especially before selfie culture made it even harder to wander around. 🙂
Visit during a global pandemic, (most) problems solved. Tour size ten people max, no queues at all, you should still (or more than ever) pre-book your tour, though.
Small size is a minus, but the history of Ludwig II is very interesting, even though it is not medieval.
#Corona #Covid19
Timo, good point! Anyone able to safely travel there during the pandemic got to have a completely difference experience. Thanks for sharing.