May 26, 2025 Rick Steve’s tour

Day 8: Neuschwanstein and a Luge

PROPOSED PLAN:

It’s a short drive and a half-hour hike to “Mad” King Ludwig’s deservedly famous Neuschwanstein Castle. We’ll tour the castle and have time for lunch. Afterward, you can barrel down the Tegelberg summer luge track (weather permitting). This afternoon you’ll be free to visit another nearby castle, take a bike ride in the countryside, or just relax at a quaint café or outdoor beer garden before dinner on your own.

Strenuous walking: 2–8 miles throughout the day with lots of hills, stairs, and uneven terrain. No bus. Sleep in Reutte, Austria.

ACTUAL EVENTS:

The drive was short and we made it to the castle but the rain was coming down pretty hard. We opted for a bus ride to the top. The views were spectacular of the castle, the forest, the mountains and the valley below. We had a timed ticket for 12:05 and we e early so we had a cappuccino first in a souvenir mug for 5 euros. The rain stop before we entered the castle. The castle was a vanity project for King Ludwig and he used it briefly as a vacation home before he died in 1886. There are many unfinished rooms but the ones that were completed were quite grandiose. Beautiful but a little over the top. It reminded us of Hearst Castle in California but the location and the dramatic spires were awe inspiring.

We had a nice lunch in a nearby restaurant that was topped off by Kaiserschmarrn which is a popular meal or dessert in Austria, Bavaria, and many parts of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. It is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I, who was fond of this fluffy shredded pancake. It was served as a dessert alongside apple sauce and contains raisins or dried cranberries.

We had to skip the luge ride due to the rain but that gave us time to relax and get packed for our drive to Switzerland tomorrow.