European Tour (13) Schwann Castle, Germany

Leaving Liechtenstein, we headed to the small German town of Fussen, preparing to visit the famous German Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castles the next day.

The small town of Fussen, with a population of only 15,000, is located on the shores of Lake Fulgen in front of the Alps at the junction of Germany and Austria. It is an ancient city with a history of about 2,000 years that came from ancient Rome. It is an important city in Europe. On the ancient trade road. This medieval and Renaissance shopping mall is renowned for its violin and harp making skills. The Lech River passes by the city, and the mountains and valleys, shrouded in clouds and mist, high mountains and dense forests, tall pine forests, and the exquisite and colorful small town form a typical Bavarian exquisite picture. There are tourist attractions such as the famous St. Munn's Monastery and the King's Museum of Bavaria in the small town. The famous Neuschwanstein Castle and more than 20 other tourist attractions are also near the small town of Fussen.

The Fantasia hotel we booked is a 2-star hotel converted from an elegant villa in the early 20th century. Although it is a 2-star hotel, the rooms and environment are not inferior to those of those hotels. 4 or 5 star hotels. The hotel is small in size, warm and comfortable. The rooms, shower room, front porch, garden, breakfast, and service have all received high praise from tourists (it actually reached 4.5 stars). The hotel is only 50 meters away from the center of the old city and just over 100 meters away from Fussen Railway Station. The transportation is convenient. You can see the St. Munger Monastery opposite from the hotel room. Neuschwanstein Castle is only a few minutes drive away.

After placing our luggage, we went out to find dinner. Unfortunately, it suddenly started raining heavily. The downpour made the car squeak loudly. I had to drive two streets in the small town and found a four-star hotel called Hirsch hotel. There was a parking space here and there was no need to pour water. You can run into the hotel restaurant when it rains. The Louipold restaurant is decorated in a simple and elegant style, and there are many guests dining here. We ordered typical German meals such as steak and pork ribs and German beer. The hotel's courteous and efficient service, as well as its delicious and affordable dishes left a good impression on us. I don’t know why, but as soon as I entered Germany, I felt a vague sense of quality, order, efficiency, safety, and trust, as if I didn’t have to worry about anything and everything would be fine.

After dinner, the rain stopped. Our two grandsons, who had been running all day, wanted to go shopping with us again and went back to the hotel with their father to play with their Ipads. We walked and strolled around Reichenstrbe, which is known as one of the most beautiful places in the small town. The colorful buildings make it look like a fairy tale world. The surrounding ancient churches, monasteries, fountains, and the statue of Saint Magnus, the patron saint of the ancient city, all reveal the town's rich sense of history.

Some people say that the real magic of Germany cannot be separated from the ancient and glorious Bavaria; the real glory of Bavaria lies in its beautiful and charming small towns, the most famous of which may be Fussen. Nowadays, this beautiful little town has become an ice and snow city for hot springs and a resort for winter sports.

In order to avoid the peak of crowds, we went to the Swan Castle Scenic Spot Ticketing Center early on the morning of June 18th. At this time, tourists from all over the world have gathered here, especially group tourists. Fortunately, the Germans have strict and efficient management. Although there are many people, it is in good order. After waiting for less than 20 minutes, I have already bought tickets to visit the two Swan Castles. There are fourteen open exhibition rooms in the Castle of Hohenschwangau. Due to the small area of ??the castle, in order to ensure the quality of the tour, the number of tourists entering the castle at each time is limited, and each ticket also stipulates the time to enter the castle. While waiting, you can visit the castle garden and other outdoor landscapes. Old Swan Castle is built on a mountain. You can hike up the mountain or take a classic carriage up the mountain. It is a rare experience to ride a carriage driven by a tall German horse through the dense forest and enjoy the scenery along the way. The carriage driven by the old German man runs smoothly and is not expensive.

Hohenschwangau Castle (Schloss Hohenschwangau in German), also known as Hohenschwangau or Hohenschwangau Castle, I call it Hohenschwangau Castle. It is located in the village of Hohenschwangau under the jurisdiction of the town of Schwangau, Bavaria, Germany. A castle located across the hill from Neuschwanstein Castle and adjacent to the small town of Fussen, it was built in 1836.

The Hohenschwangau Castle belonged to its builder, the knight Schwangau, and his descendants from the 12th to the 16th century. By the 16th century, Schwangau's knights had no successors and the castle was on the verge of collapse. It was severely damaged during the Napoleonic Wars from 1800 to 1809. Due to the excellent location of the castle, the then Crown Prince Maximilian, later King Maximilian II and the father of King Ludwig II, purchased the ruins and restored them from 1832 to 1836. It was renovated and used mainly as a hunting palace. Many famous artists of the Romantic period participated in the reconstruction work and left many precious paintings in the castle. From the castle, you can see the Alpsee Lake at the foot of the mountain and the picturesque Bavarian fields. Not far away is Schwansee (Swan Lake). Swan Lake is exactly the quiet lake described in the famous ballet Swan Lake. The small lake is covered with water lilies. White swans live and breed here. It also brought Ludwig II permanently into the fairy tale world and never woke up.

Ludwig II, the "Fairytale King" of Bavaria, spent his dreamlike time here. As a prince, he enjoyed meticulous care. The murals in the castle truly record the old king and his family. The life of the queen and prince in the castle. A pervasive mythological tale of swans, princes, magic and the romantic style of Hohenschwangau had a significant influence on the character of King Ludwig II.

What is amazing is that all the furniture, accessories, utensils and cultural relics in the castle have not been changed in accordance with the wishes of the last deceased. They are so well preserved and reflect the German cultural spirit from one aspect. and the spirit of contract. Compared with the luxurious castles owned by French princes and nobles, Hohenschwangau appears smaller and more simple. This may also be the cultural difference between Germany and France!

Coming down from Hohenschwangau, we took the bus The bus came to the parking point near the Marian Bridge that spans between two mountains. We first visited the Marian Bridge. This is a swinging bridge, and the entire bridge will shake violently when people walk on it. However, standing in the middle of the bridge is the best place to take pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle. The classic silhouettes of Neuschwanstein Castle are all taken here.

There is no doubt that Neuschwanstein Castle has become the business card of German tourism and is the most famous castle in Germany.

Neuschwanstein Castle is located on the top of a mountain in the Alps. It is larger, more spectacular and more fairy tale-like than Old Swan Castle. It is the work of Ludwig II who ruined his country and his family. Neuschwanstein Castle was built in 1869. It was completely designed according to a dream of the king. He wanted to build it as a place for Snow White to live. Theater painters and stage decorators painted countless swan pictures full of dreamy atmosphere for the castle; He dreams of life during the Sun King of France in the 17th century. This melancholy king loved poetry and painting, was as beautiful as a woman, and admired the heroic operas of the musician Wagner; his pursuit of Princess Sissi failed, and the Austrian princess broke the engagement and never married.

The construction of Neuschwanstein Castle used up all the king's savings, and the project was far from over. On June 12, 1886, the 41-year-old king was declared insane and unable to continue to govern. The king was forcibly removed from the castle where he had lived for only a week. The king drowned in Lake Berg the next day, together with his doctor. The cause of his death remains a mystery. The royal family sealed all files on his illness and death, and his sarcophagus was never allowed to be opened.

The tall watchtowers have spiral staircases that can reach each floor. Influenced by his childhood, Ludwig II was obsessed with the legend of knights. After staying at Wartburg in Thuringia, he decided to recreate scenes such as the legend of knights in his castle. Construction of Neuschwanstein Castle began in 1869 and was not completed when Ludwig II passed away 17 years later. Three months after the king's death, the government opened it as a museum. At present, all the built parts of the castle can be visited, including the king's seat hall, king's bedroom, living room, dressing room, large concert hall, artificial cave, etc. The decoration of the castle is expensive. However, compared with Hohenschwangau, I feel that Neuschwanstein seems cold and depressing, far less compact, light and warm than Hohenschwangau.

After visiting the two Neuschwanstein Castles, we drove to Salzburg, Austria. Hungary, Austria is the place of my dreams, and it is also the place where I look forward to revisiting my hometown and missing my old friends.