Neuschwanstein Castle
We visited the stunning 19th century romanesque castle perched on top of a hill on a glorious sunny day. It was built for King Ludwig II of Bavaria as his retreat house and in honour of Richard Wagner. After King Ludwig II died, the palace was opened to the public for touring. The castle is said to be the inspiration behind the famous Disney Castle and you can clearly see why!
We opted not to pay and tour the interiors due to the large queues and decided to have a good look around the castle instead. Due to the heavy snow the previous days, the normal hiking trail to reach the viewing point from the famous bridge was closed. We saw a sign 'Marienbrucke' and hiked through the woods to reach an 'off the beaten track' viewing locations which didn't disappoint!
Partnach Gorge
We had a really lucky spell with weather in Bavaria and enjoyed essentially a whole week of blue skies and sunny days to continue our exploits of Bavaria - such good weather simply unheard of! Situated further east along the Bavarian region, we parked up our van right outside the old winter olympic stadium that was used during Nazi times. Partnach Gorge is stunning 702m long gorge carved out by the mountain stream 'Partnach'. Due to the water conditions, all the water was frozen and we got to enjoy amazing frozen icicles all along the walk. The gorge walk then opens out to a beautiful clearing with the austrian alps in the background. It was one of the most scenic and beautiful landscapes we had seen.
Eagle's Nest
Famously known as a Nazi Party building where Hitler frequented, we attempted to visit this place in the winter. It is only open in the summer season with a bus usually taking you to the top as the road is closed to the general public. We tried to hike up the mountain and reach the building instead however sadly, we did not make it. We still enjoyed lovely views of the mountain side and caught a glimpse of the building sitting at the top. We treated ourselves after our failure by staying at a luxurious camping spot and eating a huge german meal which came with a salad bar!
