Neuschwanstein

Neuschwanstein is one of the most beautiful castles in all of Germany — and perhaps all of Europe as well. The palace was originally commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria and paid for the construction out of his personal fortune, rather than from funds from the Bavarian public. Unfortunately, Ludwig only lived there for six months before he died, but soon afterward the castle became open to the public.

It is one of the most popular attractions in Germany, with more than 1.3 million people visiting annually— and up to as many as 6,000 tourists per day in the summer! Thanks to its location in the south of Germany, Neuschwanstein is a great day trip from Innsbruck, Austria (2 hours by car) or from Munich, Germany (2.5 hours by car). It is important to note that Neuschwanstein Castle can only be visited within a guided tour. Thankfully, there is an official guided tour offered by the castle in both German and English. There are also audio guide tours, that are available in a dozen other languages, including Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), and more. Both the guided tours and the audio tours last about 30 minutes. It is said that the Neuschwanstein castle inspired Disney — and you can personally find out on a tour.