Munich Monday: Hiking behind Neuschwantstein

8:30:00 AM Out And About Global 3 Comments

We've attempted to hike behind Neuschwanstein twice before and have been thwarted for one reason or another, so I was thrilled when I was finally able to accomplish the hike.  The views of the valley below are incredible and you get to see the front vista of the castle with it's red door, which is not as common.
 
Parking: Depending on the time of year, you can park in the paid lot (€5/day) or you can park along the road that leads into the village.  From your car follow signs for Marianbrüke.
Trail: The hike is pretty straight forward--get to the Marianbrüke or bridge behind the castle, cross it and stay on the trail that zigzags it's way to the top of the mountain.  Follow the red/white/red stripe that is painted on rocks and trees heading towards the Tegelberg.
Time: Allow 3 hours
Difficulty: Medium--if you stay on the zig zag path you will gently climb the mountain, however more direct (and steep) paths have been beat into the ground. We encountered families on the trail.
Tegelbergbahn:  Once at the top you will see there is a world of hiking options available to you. Keep going or sit and have lunch at the Tegelbergbahn cafe which affords stunning views and "good enough" food.  We chose to save some time by taking the bergbahn back down the mountain (€12).  From the bottom, we walked about a mile back to the parking lot.





 My poor aching knees are so thankful they get to ride the bahn back down the mountain!
Hohenschwangau, Ludwig's childhood home.  This castle is also open to visit and is actually a bit more personal than Neuschwanstein.