Hohenschwangau Castle - The neighboring castle of Neuschwanstein

Information about Hohenschwangau Castle

• The "fairy tale king" Ludwig II grew up in Hohenschwangau - but the castle is known today mainly because it is within sight of the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle.
  Everything about Neuschwanstein Castle
• Hohenschwangau Castle with the royal apartments and the castle garden can be visited, but only as part of guided tours.
• The trip is also worthwhile because of the wonderful nature around the castle with the Alpsee and numerous hiking trails.

Highlights for visitors: The nursery of Ludwig II.

The Bavarian King Ludwig II has long been a myth, but you probably won't get as close to the fairytale king anywhere else as you will in Schwangau. This is due to the omnipresent Neuschwanstein, of course, but also Hohenschwangau Castle. This is where the young Ludwig spent many summers in his childhood and also later as king he always liked to be here.

As a visitor, you can follow in his footsteps and you wander through the royal apartments and the palace garden or take a look at the palace kitchen. However, this is not possible on your own; you have to take part in one of the guided tours for which a fee is charged.

Hohenschwangau Castle: opening hours, tickets and guided tours

Guided tours in Hohenschwangau:

Winter season:  January 2 2022 to March 31 2022
Guided tours 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Summer season: April 1 2022 to October 15 2022
Guided tours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closing days
24 December, 25 December, 31 December and 01 January

Car or train: Tips on how to get to Schwangau

Car: There are several ways to get from Munich to the Allgäu, for example via the A95 and B23/B17. Attention: You can only park in the valley, not directly at the castle.

Public Transport: The Bavarian regional train runs several times a day to Füssen. From the train station there, you can easily continue by bus or, for the more athletic, on foot.

Tips: Hiking through nature in the Allgäu or to the museum

It's best to set off early for the castle tour to then have some time to explore the beautiful countryside around Hohenschwangau:

• The Alpsee lake at the foot of the castle is one of the cleanest lakes in Germany, and when the weather is nice, you can perfectly refresh yourself there in the Alpseebad.
• The hiking trails in Schwangau have a length of 120 kilometers and can be divided into three areas: The mountainous part with the castles, the lake and hill landscape and then the meadow, moor and forest landscape in the eastern Allgäu.
• Also don't miss the Museum of the Bavarian Kings right on the Alpsee, which tells the story of the House of Wittelsbach. By the way, the museum also has a restaurant.

History of Hohenschwangau

Built in the early 12th century, Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria had the dilapidated Schwanstein Castle rebuilt in neo-Gothic style some 700 years later. Known henceforth as Hohenschwangau Castle due to a name mix-up, the castle served King Maximilian II as his summer residence and was also the nursery of King Ludwig II.

The magnificent interior decoration from the Biedermeier period has been preserved unchanged.