Bavaria Germany – Austria Trip (1) Munich, Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Zugspitze, Rothenburg, Füssen
Hello everyone! I made a video introducing Bavaria a few weeks ago. That video is a summary of the research I made before our Bavaria trip. What I share with you today is our actual experience and insights from our spring trip to Bavaria in May, and which pitfalls to avoid. Except for Nuremberg, which we skipped due to time constraints, we visited all the beautiful places and towns in that video. Additionally, we visited the equally beautiful and unforgettable Austrian cities of Salzburg and Hallstatt, which will also appear in subsequent videos. Let’s start with our itinerary. Those who watched the Bavaria guide video might have seen this map. This time, we also included Austria’s Salzburg and Hallstatt here. Our route started and ended in Munich, spending two nights there at both the beginning and end, Three nights in Füssen, visiting Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace, and the Zugspitze, followed by five nights in Berchtesgaden, near Königssee and Salzburg. There are no direct flights from Dallas to Munich, so we had a layover in Madrid, Spain. Since Spain and Germany are both Schengen countries, we cleared Schengen customs in Madrid. It was quite late when we arrived in Munich, so we took an Uber to our hotel and went straight to bed. The next morning, we first visited Nymphenburg Palace (Schloss Nymphenburg), located in the west of Munich and served as the summer residence of the Bavarian royal family. This palace was not mentioned in the previous guide video because there are just too many great places in Bavaria. We spent about four hours there and found it well worth the visit. Nymphenburg Palace highlights include the palace itself, the adjacent museum with royal carriages and porcelain exhibits, and several small palaces scattered in the gardens. Tickets for these attractions can be bought separately, but we opted for a combined ticket for convenience. The palace itself isn’t very large, and we toured it quickly. It is famously known as the birthplace of Ludwig II, who built the Neuschwanstein Castle. Compared to the Munich Residenz, Nymphenburg Palace’s interiors are simpler, but the palace and its gardens are still quite majestic from the outside. The royal carriage exhibit in the museum was fascinating, featuring gilded carriages, sleighs, and Ludwig II’s extravagant rides, living up to his reputation as the "Fairytale King." The gardens are also lovely, especially on a nice day. Walking around, admiring the flowers, and exploring the small palaces is quite relaxing, but do not overestimate your stamina, as the garden is quite extensive. Our next stop was Marienplatz in the old town, the heart of Munich. It was a Friday, and the place was packed. We discovered that the best way to enjoy Marienplatz is to spend five euros to climb the observation deck of St. Peter’s Church. From there, you can get a panoramic view of Munich’s old town, including Marienplatz and the Frauenkirche. Note that you do need to climb thirteen flights of stairs to reach the top. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel’s puppet show was also interesting. We caught the 5 PM show, where the puppets performed for quite a few minutes. Our day in Munich passed quickly. The next morning, we picked up our rental car and officially started our Bavarian road trip. Here’s a look at the car that accompanied us for eight days. It was my first time driving a manual SUV, which reawakened my long-dormant muscle memory for manual transmissions. Our plan for the day was to visit Linderhof Palace and Neuschwanstein Castle. From Munich, we drove south for an hour and first arrived at Linderhof Palace. To be honest, Linderhof Palace exceeded our expectations. Ludwig II built three palaces in Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee. Linderhof is the smallest but the only one completed. Ludwig II spent a lot of time here. Linderhof Palace is built according to the terrain, facing south with a symmetrical central axis, exuding grandeur. The weather was excellent that day, with blue skies and white clouds complementing the palace and gardens, making it impossible to resist taking photos. The typical Linderhof tour starts with a 20-minute guided tour of the palace, introducing the various rooms and Ludwig II’s life. The tour reveals Ludwig as an artist rather than a ruler, excelling in music, painting, and architecture but lacking in political acumen. After the tour, we explored the gardens on our own, admiring the stunning scenery. After Linderhof, we headed straight to one of the highlights of our trip, the "Fairytale Castle" Neuschwanstein. Following Google Maps, we enjoyed scenic views as we drove south, unknowingly crossing into Austria. We passed a stunning lake called Plansee, where we stopped to take photos, planning to revisit it in the future. A reminder: while German highways are toll-free, driving on Austrian highways, roads starting with A or S, you need to find a gas station and get a sticker called the "vignette." We didn’t pre-book tickets for Neuschwanstein Castle because the interior tour is often reviewed as underwhelming. We decided to take our chances and arrived around 2 PM, only to find no tickets available. Fortunately, we could still see the castle and scenery from the outside. The best spot for photos of Neuschwanstein Castle is the Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) about 300 meters south of the castle. On a clear day, smartphone photos taken here look like postcards. From the ticket office to Marienbrücke, following the Google Maps trail saves 20-30 minutes compared to the main road but is a steep climb. We were lucky with the weather and after waiting in line for about twenty minutes, we finally got onto the bridge and took lots of photos. Neuschwanstein is indeed stunning, very romantic and magical, though it lacks the vibe of a royal palace. The backdrop of Forggensee and Bannwaldsee lakes, green meadows, and the red-roofed houses of Schwangau village creates a breathtaking view. Walking from Marienbrücke to the castle entrance takes about fifteen minutes. Up close, Neuschwanstein loses some of its enchantment, being a castle best admired from a distance. Between Marienbrücke and Neuschwanstein is a viewpoint where you can see Hohenschwangau Castle, or the "Old Swan Castle" built by Ludwig II’s father, King Maximilian II. Compared to Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau is much more modest and understated. For a distant view of Neuschwanstein, a must-visit spot is St. Coloman Church near Schwangau village. The church itself is picturesque, and from this church, you can see the distant view of Neuschwanstein Castle. If you look further carefully, you can also see the Hohenschwangau Castle. After soaking in the beauty of Neuschwanstein, we headed to our vacation rental in Füssen to rest. Our rental was in the center of Füssen’s old town, run by a local lady whose father was an aerial photographer. The rooms were decorated with his black-and-white photos of Füssen and Neuschwanstein. The town is tiny and charming, taking about seven to eight minutes to walk from the southern river to the northern city wall. We strolled around town every evening after dinner, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Ludwig II’s presence is felt everywhere, with photos of him in shops, often alongside Empress Sisi. You can search for their intriguing stories on your own. We stayed in Füssen for three days and two nights. During those days, we visited Zugspitze on the first day and Rothenburg on the second day. We kept checking the weather online because visiting Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak, is pointless in bad weather. Thankfully, our trip was full of pleasant weather surprises, with only half-day of rain during our time in Berchtesgaden. For a detailed guide on visiting Zugspitze, refer to the video on how to summit Zugspitze, as I’ll skip the details here. We started early, driving straight to the Zugspitzbahn parking lot in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and was able to catch the 8:15 AM train. The train meandered all the way westward in the valley, with the early morning pastoral scenery on both sides. The entire journey lasted about seventy minutes, about thirty or forty minutes of which were from Garmisch to the foot of the mountain, the rest spent climbing on cogwheel tracks, including over ten minutes through the 4.5-kilometer tunnel. We got off at the final stop, Zugspitzplatt station, where the temperature was only one degree Celsius, but with the sun shining and no wind, it wasn’t cold. From the Zugspitzplatt, you can see the various peaks in the east and the snow-covered glaciers. After taking photos, we visited Germany’s highest church before taking the glacier cable car to the summit. Standing on the summit of a snowy mountain for the first time is a visually overwhelming experience. Besides capturing it in photos and videos, it’s hard to describe the feeling in words. It also makes one feel very small. We were lucky with visibility that day, seeing up to 150 kilometers, with layer upon layer of snowy peaks and the clear blue Eibsee below. After taking in the views from Germany, we moved to the Austrian side for a different perspective. The views from the Austrian side are just as spectacular, offering vistas of the west and south. Returning to Germany, we had lunch at the summit restaurant with unparalleled views before reluctantly taking the Zugspitze cable car down. From getting off the Zugspitze platform to taking the cable car down the mountain, we stayed at the top of the mountain for more than two hours, longer than expected because the views were so captivating. If you’re short on time, consider taking the Zugspitze cable car both ways to save at least half an hour. Since it was still early when we got to the bottom of the mountain, we decided to walked around Eibsee. We would not recommend completing the full circle as we did, as it takes about two hours. Only the northern shore is truly scenic, offering views of Zugspitze, with beautiful lakes and mountains. If you’re limited on time or energy, I recommend only walking the northern shore and then returning the same way.. On our last day in Füssen, we drove to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg, meaning "Red Fortress on the Tauber River" in German, is said to be the best-preserved medieval town in Germany. The Romantic Road, a scenic route from Füssen to Würzburg, includes many beautiful towns, with Rothenburg being the most picturesque. Indeed, Rothenburg lived up to its reputation, with old red-roofed houses that looked like they were straight out of a painting. Originally, we planned to spend about three hours there, but we ended up staying for five hours. Rothenburg’s main attractions are few but significant: the Market Square, including the Town Hall and St. George’s Fountain. There is also a three-way intersection called Plönlein, which has typical German medieval half-timbered houses, as well as an ancient city gate with a clock tower. We covered these highlights in about an hour and a half. We spent most of our time walking the medieval city walls, which are over 700 years old. The well-preserved walls offer various scenic views, making the walk worthwhile. We walked the entire circuit, taking photos along the way, which took over two hours. After the walk, we tried Rothenburg’s local specialty, Schneeballen (sweet snowballs), and a 1913 ice cream shop, completing our visit to Rothenburg. That wraps up the first video of our Germany-Austria trip. In the next episode, we will continue sharing our experiences, including the stunning Königssee, the most beautiful town of Hallstatt, and the mountain town of Berchtesgaden. Thank you for watching, and please subscribe, like, comment, and share!
The spring trip to Bavaria, Germany, and Austria has finally come true. Bavaria’s rich history and culture, along with its enchanting lakes and mountains, are even more captivating than what I saw online. The fairytale castle Neuschwanstein, Germany’s highest peak Zugspitze, the pure and beautiful Königssee, the picturesque towns of Füssen, Ramsau, and Berchtesgaden, the WWII historical site Eagle’s Nest, as well as Austria’s city of music Salzburg, Europe’s most beautiful town Hallstatt, and of course, Bavaria’s capital and beer city Munich.
I plan to share my experiences and insights from the two-week self-guided trip in three video episodes. This episode includes Munich, Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace, Zugspitze, the charming towns of Füssen, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
#bavaria #bavariagermany #germanytravel #neuschwanstein #neuschwansteincastle #zugspitze #rothenburgobdertauber