When we got downstairs, I asked the clerk (now a young lady) if we could leave the car in the parking lot while we went to visit the castles. She said, "Of course!"
So while I checked out, Ted took our bags to the car and moved it so it would not be in front of the garage or in any one's way. It took him a bit of time before he returned and I wondered why he took so long! I had a lengthy conversation with the two clerks about the United States. Of course, they oohed and ahhed over the fact that we were from California, completely dismissing the fact that they lived in an extraordinarily beautiful place. I guess the grass is always greener!
She directed us to the dining room where we had a buffet breakfast (included in the price of the room). We were shown to our personal table and had a waitress bring us tea in silver teapots with honest-to-goodness silverware!
This exquisite cabinet sat in the corner opposite the table where we were sitting. It was very intricate and very, very beautiful. My camera phone did not do this piece justice!
From my chair, I could see this part of the dining room. What you see here is the heating system for the two rooms. It's the fireplace!
Because I'm so observant, (or maybe because I'm so nosey, I don't know) I looked up and saw this wonderful wood ceiling. If there is ONE thing the Germans do really well, it's wood. And they have a LOT of it!
Behind me is the view outside the hotel. It is beautiful but we can't wait to see the Castles!
Castle Hopping is a term that's used (by my husband's co-workers) when they visit castles in Germany. The two castles we will be visiting today are: Neuschwanstein, Mad King Ludwig II's castle and Hohenschwangau, King Ludwig's parent's castle. Both Castles have a swan theme. Neuschwanstein, as it's called by the locals, is the castle that Disney patterned Disney Land's Sleeping Beauty Castle from. Ted was looking forward to this since he grew up with Cinderella's castle at Disney land.
It's a little unnerving in that we weren't sure where we were going since it was dark here last night, we couldn't really tell the lay of the land, so to speak. Luckily, the hotel clerks gave me a map and told me that the ticket center was right next door. Great!
We had reservations for 10:55am for the first Castle (Hohenschwangau - pronounced Ho-hen-shvon-gow) and 12:55pm for the second Castle (Neuschwanstein - pronounced New-shvon-stine). I specifically asked the reservationist if we would have enough time to get from one Castle to the other and she said she made the reservations far enough apart that we would have time. But we still had to actually BUY the tickets! We were told to arrive at least 30 minutes before our scheduled reservation so that we would have time to get the tickets and get to the Castle. It was a little after 9when we walked over and stood in line so we figured we were in good shape.
As we walked we looked around and I realized that all of the hotels in this area and there were five of them were ALL there JUST for the Castle visitors! But the village is rather quaint.
View of a hotel up the street from where we were.
I believe this is some sort of souvenir shop!
I'm not sure what this building is right now (probably a maintenance building) but it looks like at one time it was a stable! The roof has large-sized rocks on it. I'm not sure why they are there, but they are.
The road to the castle, if we walked, would have taken about 45 minutes. And while we could have walked it, I'm VERY glad we didn't and I'll explain why later! Ted also wanted to take the horse and buggy up to the Castle. He was a little dismayed as to the order of the Castles but it appears that the ticket center makes the reservations this way for a reason.
The ticket center clerk told us that we had to be on time because if we missed our tour, we would have to come back to the center and buy new tickets for another tour. We were not going to miss either tour. We were also told we could take no photos of the interior of the Castles because the flashlights on cameras deteriorate the ancient furnishings. This is understandable so we bought a few small books with photos I could scan in. So, this is advance notice that the interior photos of the Castle are professional photos.
I couldn't believe the number of people that swarmed around this small burg! It one of the most popular tourist attractions in Southern Germany. Again, we heard a cacophony of languages being spoken while in line getting our tickets. We had been told by the clerks that the horse and buggy picked up passengers outside our hotel, the Hotel Meuller. Unfortunately, we stood for awhile and did not see the horse and buggy. I was getting nervous and so was Ted. We walked back down to the Ticket center and Ted, thankfully, noticed a sign that indicated (by picture of course) that the horse and buggy stopped there for the trip up to the first Castle.
We kept a close eye on our watches. When the carriage finally arrived we were told to sit in the front with the driver. The cost for the ten-minute ride was 6 EURO (about $9) per person. That price included the horsey smell that wafted up our noses!
As we went up the hill, I took note of the half walls and the cobblestone road. The road was very narrow, only big enough to allow one carriage to go through at one time. This was evident when we stopped at the cross roads and waited until the other carriage to come down the road.
This is a view of the first Castle from the village.
This is the view of the lake from the Castle road.
There would be a five-minute walk (uphill, of course) to the Castle.
Notice the steep slope going up to this lovely Castle!
As you can see there's more to getting into the Castle than first meets the eye!
I was awestruck by the fact that these boulders were left to be a part of the Castle walls!
When we finally got through that tunnel, we came into the Castle courtyard.
This fountain is on the left side of the courtyard, which is not large and with the number of people, it appears even smaller.
This is where the tour starts.
We were told by the ticket clerk that the tour lasts 35 minutes. We had NO idea just how sophisticated this tour process was! Our tickets had a tour number on it. I didn't think anything of it when we bought the tickets but now that number would be crucial in us getting into the correct tour.
By the time we finally reached the courtyard, it was 10:40 and we still had 15 minutes to look around. These are a few views from the Castle courtyard to the village below.
This is another view of the countryside from the Castle courtyard.
There were a few benches and lots of people milling about waiting for their tour. We snagged a spot under a beautiful tree and waited for our tour to be called. We sat next to an Italian woman and her daughter. She said this was a day trip for them and they came by bus!
There was a fairly large square neon sign above what appeared to be three turnstiles. The tour numbers appeared on that neon sign to indicate when you were supposed to queue up to enter the Castle. Finally it was our turn. We got in line and used our ticket to open the turnstile.
We climbed a set of stone stairs to get into the Castle and then once inside, we went up a circular staircase and ended up in a long hallway. Thankfully, the tour was in English so we could understand the tour guide.
The Royal Castle of Hohenschwangau was at it's height during the 12th century. The builders and lords of the Castle were the Knights of Schwangau. The Schwangau Knights died out in the 16th century. The castle fell into ruins and was heavily damaged during the Napoleonic wars between 1800 and 1809. Crown Prince Maximillian (later became known as King Maximillian II) bought the Castle because of it's excellent location. He began the restoration process and completed it in 1832. Many artisans from the romantic era helped to restore the Castle and 14 rooms were furnished and we will be visiting them today! Here are some of the rooms from the Royal Castle.
The Chapel
Prior to 1832, this chapel was the former arms and drinking hall. Today, Mass is still celebrated here on Sundays and holidays. The armour dates back to the 16th century. And although the photo shows the altar, it was not there when we toured the Castle.
The Hall of the Swan Knight
This was the former dining room. The style of the room definitely indicates the romantic era. The silver centerpieces were gifts from the Bavarian Swabians to Crown Prince Maximillian and his bride Mary the Princess of Hohenzollern on their wedding. You'll remember we visited her Castle back in the middle of May.
Another view of the dining hall. I apologize for the lines in the photo. The photo went across two pages.
Queen Mary's Living Room
Unlike the other rooms, the paintings in this room depict the history of the Castle along with those who either lived there or who were an influence during the Castle's history including Martin Luther.
Another view of the Queen's Living Room. The main attraction is the chandelier which is all silver and has swans on it. That swan theme is everywhere in the Castle. The Queen's living quarters were a floor below the King's living quarters.
The Queen's Bedroom
The Crown Prince visited Turkey in 1833 and as a result, this room has a decidedly Turkish flair. The settees were gifts from the Turkish Sultan, Muhamed II. The wall paintings depict various stages of his visit to the Orient.
The King's Music and Dressing Room
The square piano is made of maple wood. Richard Wagner, the composer, played his own works on this piano. The crucifix is made of lapislazuli.
What is interesting about the King's bedroom (no photo) is that there was a telescope set up in the bedroom to view the progress of building the Ludwigs Castle across the valley. He monitored the progress discretely to ensure the work was going as scheduled!
Everything in this castle is exquisite! The photos do not do these rooms justice. Unfortunately, there was no time to linger in any of the rooms or over any of the pieces because of the ongoing tours.
All too soon, the tour was finally over and we were escorted, once again, through a series of circular stairways. We ended up on the other side of the castle.
The exit on the other side of the Castle.
A fountain in the area outside the exit of the Castle. There's that swan theme again.
This small fountain also has a swan theme. I could not believe an Asian lady actually drank from this fountain! While it is beautiful, I would not drink from it.
We walk back to where our carriage left us off and there's one waiting for us! We get in and go back down to the village. By this time it's almost noon. Ted really wanted to get a carriage ride to the second Castle because it does remind him of the Castle there but the lines for the carriage are unbelievably long and each carriage can only support about 10 people. We decide to take a bus up to Ludwig's Castle. We were packed in like sardines. Ted and I were standing right next to the front exit door. The drive took about 15 minutes and left us off with another 15 minute walk to the Castle. Most of that walk was through a windy downhill paved path, which seemed odd to me since the Castle was above us. At some point, we will have to go up.
I made the mistake of wearing my tennis shoes. I thought with all of the walking that they would be the most comfortable. I was wrong. The shoes pushed into my toes and my feet hurt like the dickens! I should have stayed with the flip flops. If Ted was hurting, he didn't say anything. But then, he wouldn't. He never complains if he's hurting!
It was the same type of deal with the tour numbers, the neon sign and the turnstiles. We were about 10 minutes early, thank goodness! Ted and I needed to use the restroom. It was at the castle gate. And although the facility was modern, there must have been way too many people for the castle employees to maintain the restroom clean and smell free. I was gagging so I had to get out of there as soon as possible.
Through the Castle gate, there was a large courtyard in full sun so we stayed in the gate area where it was shaded.
Before we took our tour, we snapped a few photos of the scenery from the courtyard. Ted also seems to think that perhaps there are attractions in Disney Land that were modeled after the rock faces in the second photo. There was a waterfall opposite of the castle and across the gorge. Ted said it looked just like the waterall at the Matterhorn in Disneyland. Disney certainly took his inspiration from this castle and this country!
A little bit of history of King Ludwig. There is an aura of mystery surrounding his death. He drowned in one of the lakes by his Castle. His Castle, at the time, was under construction, and was never finished after his death. His intention was to build his Castle in the true style of the ancient German Knights' Castles. His dream would not befulfilled.
Although he is dubbed the "Mad King" because he was pronounced unfit to rule, he remains the favorite King of the Bavarian people!
Our number was called (or rather flashed) and we once again inserted our tickets into the turnstile. This tour started on the third floor! So we were treated to 130winding stair steps up to the third floor. I was getting dizzy and of course, Ted neve complained. His going up and down stairs at work really has helped him here!
Before we went up those steps, however, we were shown the servants quarters on the first floor. I mentioned to Ted that by our standards the rooms were very small and frugal. However, considering when the Castle was built, I'm sure the servants counted themselves very fortunate indeed to have lived in such a grand place. Where they came from probably did not have stone floors, plastered walls or nice furnishings!
We entered the vestibule on the third floor (no photo, unfortunately) and it's trapezoidal shape is a direct result of the outcropping of rock, the natural foundation, that sits under this room. Next to this room on the right is the Throne room.
The Throne Room - View of the throne area
This room was never completed and the gold and ivory thrones never installed. Again, these photos do not do this room justice. It is exquisite! The keepers of the Castle had the ability to lower the Byzantine crown-shaped chandelier to change out the candles through the use of a winch.
The Throne Room - View down from the throne area
Again, it's exquisite! The gold leaf and the murals. Unbelievably gorgeous. There is no way anyone can ever replace this artwork. For one thing, the artisans probably do not exist today and for another it would be cost prohibitive. The floor which has more than two million stones is 50 feet wide by 66 feet long and depicts animals and plants from all over the world!
The Dining Room
In most castles, there was a "magic table" (now I can only surmise from the description in the book is that a "magic table" comes up through the floor to allow servants to put the food on the table.) In this Castle, the kitchen was three stories below. So instead, they used a food lift to bring the food up to the third floor. I would say both the "magic table" and the food lift were ingenious for that time period!
King Ludwig's Bedroom
The canopy of the bed are hand carved and incredibly beautiful. Fourteen sculptures worked four and a half years to complete this one room! The light blue drapes had the Bavarian coat of arms embroidered on them. The color was the King's favorite! The washstand had running water! The source of the water was 660 feet above the castle and had enough pressure to supply ALL the Castle rooms (even the upper floors) with water!
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View from one of the King's rooms
I can't say for sure where this balcony was because of how commercialized some of the Castle has become but the view was too beautiful not to snap a photo of it. We were allowed to take photos from the windows outward but not inward.
The King's Chapel
The chapel is very tiny but the detail work here is as beautiful as the rest of the Castle. The stained glass is particularly intricate.
The King's Dressing Room
This room is the only room that does not have a wooden ceiling. It has a mural. The iron work on the door from the living room to the dressing room is probably the finest in all of the Castle.
There were two other rooms for which I have no photos: the King's bedroom and the King's study.
To get to the King's living room you pass through an artificial grotto. It's difficult to describe it and of course, there are no photos of it. I found it weird that it would be constructed in this manner but perhaps he liked grottos, I don't know.
King Ludwig was an accomplished pianist which would explain the emphasis on music and why he had a personal relationship with Richard Wagner.
The Singer's Hall
The accoustic qualities of this hall are very good due to the angled wood ceiling. There were never any concerts held here during the King's reign. However, they began having concerts in 1933 but stopped in 1939. They resumed in 1969 and are held here every September. At the far end of the room is the stage. What is difficult to see from this photo is the mural on the back stage wall. As we looked at it, Ted recognized the tree. He said that this tree was a focal point in many of Disney's cartoons and movies! We'll have to check it out further.
The tour ends with this room. Now we have to go back down the 188 steps. Fortunately, there are stopping places along the way. On the fourth floor (an area that was never completed) was turned into a souvenir shop. I'm sure Ludwig is turning over in his grave over how his Castle has turned into a tourist attraction complete with souvenirs!
We contributed to it by buying a photo of the Castle and a few other thngs. I had to sit down for a bit to rest those aching tootsies. So I opted for a bench in the Vestibule on the third floor.
We finally reached the kitchen area. The kitchen was a massive room complete with huge copper bowls and tureens. There was a large room that was the "pantry" and contained the cook's office (behind a wall of wood and glass) as well as the washing room for dishes. We were told by another visitor that the cook's staff were all men!
Down more stairs into the very bowels of the Castle (and here you could smell the dank smell of earth and there was mold on the walls even though the steps were decidedly modern. We finally came to the big wooden door and it led us outside to an area we passed when we were headed up to the Castle. Once again, the German fortitude to have things orderly was evident in the planning of this Castle's tour!
At first I started back to where we left the bus but Ted wanted to take the carriage back down to the village. So we turned and went to another path leading down to another area where they sold yet more souvenirs and food. Ted was hungry but I was not.
So I sat next to an Italian woman and her husband. We started to talk and it turns out they live at Lago di Como in Italy (a gorgeous place I visited when I was 16) and they have a home not too far from where my father's family comes from in Ascoli Piceno!) It is SUCH a small world. We sat and talked with them for about 30-45 minutes. I got to practice my Italian and of course, my feet needed a rest. I also found out he spoke English because he worked for Lucent for 15 years. All too soon it was time to walk back down to where we could get the carriage.
By this time, I was a little hungry and we stopped at another food place. Ted and I shared three donut balls which were wonderful. Along the way, there was a water source. People were drinking from it and filling their water bottles. I turned to Ted and said that there would be NO way I would be drinking that water!
The horse and carriage was waiting for us and we got on. There was a woman across from us who lived in Monroe, Michigan. We had a conversation the entire time going back down the hill to the hotels and our car.
First thing I did when I got in the car was to change my shoes. My flip flops were heaven! We had decided we would go back home through Garmisch. Ted pulled the car out of the parking space and pulled the bottom portion of his bumper with it. UGH! He tried to put it back as best he could but we both were worried what the 120-140 km per hour drive would do to that bumper and our car.
We drove for a bit and found a gas station. We tried to put it back but it totally fell off except for two screws holding it in place on the drivers side. We luckily had the tools in the trunk to take the bumper totally off. We stowed it in the back seat and went on our way. The road to Garmisch took us through Austria. So we went through Austria before going back into Germany.
It looked like we would be driving into rain. And sure enough we did. When we finally reached Garmisch, we had passed the rain. We stopped at an Italian eatery in Garmisch. I would have liked to stay longer and explore the town but by the time we finished eating, the rain caught up with us and was pouring down in buckets. I had chosen to sit outside but with the rain air turned quite chilly but crisp.
We shared a Caprese salad and lasagne. Interestingly, the lasagne reminded me of someone else's lasagne and I thought it was my grandmother's niece's lasagne from when we were there in the late 60's (yeah, I know...how could I remember a dish from that long ago...probably because it was unusual - for me anyways - grandma never made lasagne so I didn't even know it existed way back then!)
It turns out the cook was from Pescara and then I remembered my sister-in-law's lasagne. With the exception of some of the ingredients, it tasted just like hers! That's it! And it was delicious.
We wanted to get back on the road again because it was getting late, it was raining and we wanted to get home. Julie wanted to take us back to the Castle area but we didn't want to go back into the rain. We knew the road we were on would take us to the freeway. When we went along a little ways, we would reprogram Julie. We would be going through Munich on the way back. It was a longer ride, for sure, but no rain. There was construction and so that pushed the time back as well. And towards the end of the trip we were in rain and we could see lightening bolts. The last 45 minutes took the longest because our speed was reduced due to the rain.
We finally pulled into our garage and it sounded like someone in the building was having a party! We unloaded the car and took everything up stairs. We realized someone had gotten married and they were having their reception in the hotel across the street. The room was oppostie our kitchen and they definitely were having a grand time! Since it was still relatively early (9:45) we decided to enjoy their party for a few minutes. Finally the hotel's employees closed the shields and the music was muted. That was the end of us enjoying their party.
Since Ted and I were curious as to how Disney came to use those Castles as his inspiration, I did a little research. What I found out was that Disney's mother was of German descent. That would explain his being in Germany. Ted and I also remarked on whether or not Disney modeled Disneyland ride queues from these tours. We couldn't verify that but it would seem logical.
We were really tired but we checked email and went to bed. I could barely walk as my ankles, feet and right hip were causing me grief. Hopefully, I will get some sleep tonight. And my dear husband? He finally said matter of factly, that his feet also were hurting him. Finally!
I look forward to a quiet day at home tomorrow.
Saturday 08/08/09
omg,what an absolutley beautiful beautiful place.i'd love to see that. deb
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