Getting to Neuschwanstein | From Hohenschwangau to Neuschwanstein

How to Get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Hohenschwangau and Back:

Horse Carriage, Neuschwanstein © Travel Signposts..

Getting to Neuschwanstein Castle from Hohenschwangau:

If you’re in Hohenschwangau village and want to go up to Neuschwanstein Castle, you have three options:

On foot:

The walk up takes about 30 minutes going uphill and less coming down.

By horse-drawn carriage:

Departure point: Hotel Müller, Alpseestraße in Hohenschwangau.

From the horse-drawn carriage stand at the top it is about a 300m walk (approx. 5 minutes) to the castle entrance.
Costs: Uphill journey € 6 | Downhill journey € 3 (prices as at Sep. 2010)

By Bus:

Departure point: Schlosshotel Lisl. The bus goes via Bleckenaustraße to the “Jugend” lookout point (Marienbrücke) from where it is about 600 m or a 10-minute walk on a steep downhill path to the entrance of the castle. This path is not suitable for the disabled. Note: The bus does not run if there is snow or ice on the roads!
Costs: Uphill journey € 1.80 | Downhill journey € 1 | Return ticket: € 2.60 (as at 2008)

Getting to Hohenschwangau from Neuschwanstein Castle:

From the castle exit, if you intend walking back to the village or taking a ride on the horse-drawn carriage, take the path down to the right.

To return by bus, take the path to the left to the lookout point where you were dropped off.

Horse-Drawn Carriage

It was cold and wet and we had 30 minutes to get back to Hohenschwangau village from the castle. We took the path to the right and in approximately 5 minutes we saw the stand for the horse-drawn carriage. We decided to take a ride down but when no carriages were in sight we got a little concerned about our timing. A guy who was doing some work there told us that a carriage would arrive in a few minutes and it did. A few minutes later, a few more carriages arrived.

The carriages take about 8-10 people and travels at a leisurely pace. Just before we reached the village, they did a horse change. Apparently after 6-8 trips, the horses are given a rest. So the whole journey probably took as long as if we had walked, but I’m glad that we did the horse-drawn carriage as it was an enjoyable experience – once you got used the smell of the horse!