Castles

 One of the "must see" stops if you are traveling in Bavaria is the pair of castles located on the edge of the Alps near the Austrian border. Most famous is Neuschwanstein, the home, briefly, of King Ludwig II, but also spectacular is his parents schloss, Hohenschwangau, pictured above. The two castles are located within a few miles of each other and it is possible to see both in one day.

 Because Ken and I have visited the castles in the past, this time we went along for the hiking opportunities rather than the tour. As others in our group went through the gates, we ambled off to the side to get some exercise and enjoy the scenery.

You can see that the castle built by Ludwig's father, King Maximilian II, is much closer to the village than the abode of his son.

 The view above is one seen from the hike up to Neuschwanstein. A small part of Ludwig's castle, below, is visible from the road. Because they are renovating the front of the structure this year, the classic images of the fairytale castle are not possible. Tomorrow I will show some views from the back side, possible if you hike a little ways past the bus stop at Marienbrucke.

 Below is the view of Hohenschwangau from the bridge.