VISIT THE 2 BEST CASTLES IN BAVARIA: NEUSCHWANSTEIN AND HOHENSCHWANGAU
June 5, 2024
Bavaria castles transport us to a fairytale world. In this article we will explore the 2 best castles in Bavaria: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.
Located on the border with Austria, Bavaria is a region of Germany that offers idyllic landscapes, rich and well-kept cities, and unspoilt nature.
What to see in 3 days in Bavaria? The beautiful German state of Bavaria has so much to offer: fairy-tale castles, lush forests, blue-water lakes, picturesque houses with high roofs and plenty of beer mugs!
In this article, we present our ‘Bavaria 3 day Itinerary’ to find out what to see in 3 days in Bavaria!
We spent 3 days in Bavaria, exploring this southern German region with its magnificent mountain views, fairytale castles, beautiful Munich and quaint villages. Our trip to southern Bavaria took place over three days, with an extra day dedicated to the return journey.
There are so many places in Bavaria to see, but if you have 3 days in Bavaria, it’s best to focus on a specific area. In this case, we focused on the south, leaving other areas for future trips. In this article, we share our ‘3 days in Bavaria travel Itinerary’ that we followed, in the hope that it will inspire you in planning a future holiday in this wonderful region.
On the first day of our ‘Bavaria Itinerary 3 days’, we set off bright and early and headed south, with Kempten as our destination. We crossed into Austria and passed by the city of Innsbruck, which we used as a pit stop on our return journey.
We got to Kempten in the early afternoon and had a quick break at the hotel before heading to Lake Constance. This beautiful lake is in the south-western part of Bavaria. Our destination on Lake Constance is Lindau, which is definitely one of the places to see on a 3 days in Bavaria trip. Lindau is a charming village located on the south-east coast of Lake Constance, close to the Austrian border.
Lake Constance is the third largest lake in Europe, with a surface area of more than 500 square kilometres. It’s pretty surprising that if you travelled along the entire perimeter of Lake Constance, you’d pass through three countries: Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The lake gets its water from the Rhine River, which is also its main outlet. It’s got an elongated shape with a narrowing in the city of Constance, which divides it into two parts: the Obersee and the Untersee.
Lake Constance is also an excellent destination for summer holidays, as it is swimmable, and you can also enjoy water sports there, or cycle along its coast, thanks to a long cycle path, as well as various paths that allow you to climb the mountains around the lake. Several islands emerge from its waters, including Reichenau, the largest, Mainau, known as the ‘flower island,’ and Lindau itself. Lake Constance is definitely one of the answers to the question ‘What to see in Bavaria?’.
The island of Lindau is the most interesting part of the city, where the historical core is located, a mainly pedestrianised area extending to the harbour. Close to the historic centre, there are ample and convenient parking facilities for visiting Lindau, and the railway line has a station on the west side of the island.
We spent the afternoon visiting and walking around the old town, visiting the main sights:
We continued our visit in the harbour, admiring the majestic lighthouse that dominates the area and the Bayerischer Löwe in Lindau, an imposing lion-shaped statue symbolising the strength of the Bavarian monarchy, erected following the annexation of Lindau to Bavaria.
After an aperitif overlooking the lake, we headed back to the city centre, where we enjoyed a delicious beer tasting followed by a gourmet dinner at the Valentin restaurant (which we highly recommend!).
Bavaria Itinerary 3 dasy: Bayerischer Löwe and Lindau lighthouse
3 days in Bavaria trip itinerary: : view of Mangturm
3 days in Bavaria trip Itinerary: Lindau Town Hall
The second day of our ‘Bavaria 3 day Itinerary’ was dedicated entirely to visiting the famous castles of southern Bavaria, which are definitely the first answer to the question ‘What to see in 3 days in Bavaria?’.
The first castle we visited was Linderhof Castle, smaller than the others, but very charming, as it has a style inspired by French royal residences, so much so that it is also called the ‘little Versailles’.
This castle is the only one that was completed by King Ludwig II and is a place where opulence reigns supreme, as can be seen in certain rooms such as the Audience Chamber.
The grounds of Linderhof Castle are a great place for those who love to explore, where you will find places that are completely different from each other:
If you are interested in visiting Linderhof Castle, we recommend the official website at this link.
After visiting Linderhof Castle, we headed to Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle, which are located opposite each other. Neuschwanstein Castle is the iconic fairytale castle from which Disney drew inspiration for some of the castles that appear in cartoons, such as Sleeping Beauty.
We parked at the foot of the mountain where the castle is located and followed the footpath, which offers great views of Fussen and the surrounding countryside, as well as Hohenschwangau Castle.
The path leads to the main entrance, from where the guided tours start, the only way to visit the castle.
The tour leads through the inner rooms of the castle, starting on the third floor, where a large part of the tour takes place, beginning in the Entrance Hall, decorated with wall paintings narrating the saga of Siegfried, and continuing on to the sumptuous Throne Room and the private rooms of Ludwig II, among which the Grotto and the Winter Garden stand out for their particularity. The upper floor leads to the corridor above the Throne Room and the Singers’ Room, one of the largest and most beautiful spaces on the tour.
The visit to the castle takes a little less than an hour and, once you have left, we recommend you head for the Marienbrücke bridge from where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the castle and visit the waterfalls nearby. During the autumn period, the vivid colours ranging from yellow to red and green surrounding these places are amazing.
In the early afternoon we headed for Hohenschwangau Castle, which is about a half-hour walk from Neuschwanstein Castle. This castle grew out of the ruins of a medieval castle, which was abandoned and remained uninhabited for many years. In the 19th century, King Maximilian II, father of Ludwig II, bought it and entrusted the renovation work to the master of art, painting and architecture Domenico Quaglio. Maximilian II’s wife, Maria of Prussia, also loved this castle and its surrounding forests. Ludwig II was born here and grew up in this magical place, drawing inspiration for Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Castle.
A visit to Hohenschwangau Castle takes about an hour and we recommend that you also make a stop in the small but beautiful garden, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and Lake Schwangau.
This link will direct you to the official website of the castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, where you can find interesting information and buy tickets for your visit!
These castles are definitely must-sees during 3 days in Bavaria and we recommend that you dedicate at least one day to discovering these wonderful places.
3 days in Bavaria travel itinerary: Hohenschwangau Castle
3 days in Bavaria travel itinerary: Neuschwanstein Castle
3 days in Bavaria travel itinerary: Linderhof Castle
Bavaria castles transport us to a fairytale world. In this article we will explore the 2 best castles in Bavaria: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.
At the end of our visit, we returned to Kempten so that we could devote the last part of our afternoon to visiting this small town. Kempten is a very quiet and well-kept place, with the River Iller running through it, giving way to places that seem to have come straight out of a fairy tale. The old town centre is small but very beautiful: starting from the Town Hall Square, where there are nice cafés and several benches to relax on, we recommend you continue along Ratahusstraße, until you cross Fischerstraße, which is also pleasant to walk along, as there are many shops selling typical products here.
In the evening, we stayed in Kempten to dine in the historic and traditional Weinstube Hensler restaurant, which offers excellent typical Bavarian cuisine, accompanied by fine wines and the excellent company of the owner with whom we had the opportunity to discuss local traditions at length.
3 days in Baviera trip itinerary: Kempten
The third and last day of our ‘Bavaria 3 day Itinerary’ was entirely dedicated to the beautiful city of Munich, one of Bavaria’s must-see cities. Here are the most important places in the city:
Bavaria Itinerary 3 days: the Glockenspiel
Bavaria Itinerary 3 days: view of Neuhauser Straße from Karlsplatz
Bavaria Itinerary 3 days: Antiquarium at the Munich Royal Residence
If you want to learn more about Munich, please read the article we shared below!
What to see in Munich in 1 day? Among museums, parks and traditional breweries, here’s our “1 day Itinerary Munich”!
The fourth day of our 3-day trip to Bavaria was dedicated to the return journey, during which we recommend an intermediate stop in the beautiful city of Innsbruck. We hope our ‘Bavaria 3 day Itinerary’ has inspired your curiosity to discover what to see in Bavaria, a destination that offers a combination of excellent cuisine, natural beauty and fascinating history. If you are interested in visiting castles in southern Bavaria, we recommend you read the article we dedicated to these wonderful places and, above all…trip to try!
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