The fairy-tale castle that everyone has seen before they ever visit — postcards, jigsaw puzzles, the inspiration for the Disney logo. Ludwig II of Bavaria began building it in 1869 as a romantic Romanesque revival fantasy, financed partly from his own pocket and partly from the Bavarian treasury, and intended as a private retreat rather than a working castle.
The interior is a strange and rather affecting mixture of Wagner-themed murals, gilded thrones, an artificial grotto with stalactites, and a throne hall that was never finished. Tours run every five minutes (35 minutes, multiple languages), tickets €15 plus an advance booking fee — they must be reserved online via the Ticket Centre at Hohenschwangau village, not at the castle itself. Get the first tour of the day to avoid the worst crowds. Allow time for the steep half-hour walk up the hill, or take the horse-and-carriage shuttle. The classic photograph is from the Marienbrücke bridge above the Pöllat gorge — exposed and dizzy in bad weather, closed in winter snow.