We are blessed with an absolutely gorgeous, crystal-clear day -- ideal for touring sites high in the Bavarian Alps.
Howenschwangau, the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, was built by his father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria. It is located in the German village of Schwangau near the town of Füssen in southwestern Bavaria, very close to the border with Austria. King Maximilian died in 1864, with Ludwig succeeding to the throne. In 1869, King Ludwig continued living at Hohenschwangau as work started on his own castle, Neuschwanstein, only a stone's throw from his parental home.
Neuschwanstein, a 19th-century Gothic Revival palace on a rugged hill, was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.
After touring the castles and eating lunch, we begin the circuit through Germany's highest peaks, across the Austrian border, then back into Germany. We are awed by the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak at 2,963 meters above sea level, which lies between the Lech and Inn rivers. We arrive in Garmisch shortly before dusk, in time to take photos, window shop and grab a snack before heading back toward Munich. This day is a fairy tale come true!
