If you can’t make up your mind between mountains and beach, water sports and cycle tours, cultural sight seeing, wellness holidays and sampling a new cuisine, come and have it all in Schwangau and the Neuschwanstein Castle Region.After I discovered Schwangau, I broke my promise to never go to the same holiday spot twice and came back the year after. There is so much to do and see in such a small area, that you will have trouble enjoying it all. It left me coming for more again and again and I finally decided to settle in this beautiful region.Here are my top 10 reasons why you should make the Neuschwanstein Castle Region your next summer holiday destination.1. Romantic Beaches You will find no less than 6 lakes in the immediate vicinity of Neuschwanstein Castle and Schwangau village. You will find everything from sandy beaches, pebble beaches and places where you enter the water from hide-away grassy patches between trees and shrubs. The water is exceptionally clean and you can often see down to the ground. The weather in summer is warm and temperatures can rise to 35 degrees Celsius.2. Excellent Water Sport Opportunities The best lake for water sports is the Forggensee, which is also the biggest of all the lakes. In summer you see a colourful display of sailing boat sails spread all over the lake Several sailing clubs and harbours can be found along the shore. Wind surfing, canoeing and pedal boats are also available and used frequently.3. Bike trails through stunning nature The whole Neuschwanstein Castle Region has hundreds of kilometers of marked bike trails off the main roads and along lakes, through forests and across fields. You can enjoy the gorgeous panoramic views while sharing your picnic with one of the grazing cows. Mountain bike trails also abound and allow you to reach the cosy mountain huts and their sun terraces for a cool beer. Bikes and helmets can be rented in several places in Schwangau village.
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4. Visiting the fairytale castle “Neuschwanstein” and the medieval ruinsCastle Neuschwanstein has been build by King Ludwig II and is a “must-see” in the area. With more than 1 million tourists a year it is a major European tourist attraction and even inspired Disney to design what it is known as Cinderella Castle. To get there you can either walk up the mountain, cycle up, take the bus or the horse carriage. The path is well sign-posted. To avoid the crowds, book your ticketing in advance and hire a private horse carriage from one of the two Schwangau rental places to take you up.There are many more castles and ruins in the Neuschwanstein Region and historically interested and culturally excited travelers will love their discoveries. Castle “Ehrenburg” hosts an annual “knights festival” with re-enactments and medieval food stands every year end July. It also offers treasure hunts for children and a museum where you can try on a knight’s armour.5. Plenty of hiking trails in the Alpine mountains and welcoming huts allowing you to relax and enjoy the scenery.There are 14 official hiking trails and tours from Schwangau allowing you to discover nature up close. You will master small challenges like steep rocky paths and windy trails through the mountain forests rewarding yourself with a cold drink and a hearty meal at one of the many mountain huts such as “Drehhuette” or “Rohrkopfhuette”. Watch out for the black mountain lizards on your path; they look like little mountain crocodiles.For a romantic overnight hike, start from the bottom of the mountain Tegelberg in Schwangau, hike up past meadows, forests and rocky parts to the summit of “Branderfleck”, “Ahornsattel”. You will finally reach your destination “Kenzenhütte”, a mountain hut serving you a heart-warming hut meal, allowing you to enjoy a splendid sunset and providing you with a rustic place to spend the night. The next morning you can keep hiking back a different path or take the bus back down into the valley.6. Wellness opportunities and Thermal SpaFor a day full of relaxation and wellness, try the royal thermal bath “Koenigliche Kristalltherme” in Schwangau. There are several heated inside and outside pools all connected to allow you an indulging water experience. Add a visit to one of the many saunas or the crystal caves.And why not try out a massage either at the Thermal Spa itself or at one of the many hotels with wellness area. Ask me for recommendations.7. Outdoor ActionWould you believe that Schwangau also offers paragliding tandem jumps and entire 3 and 5 day courses for you to learn to paraglide yourself?If you prefer rock climbing, there are several natural climbing walls and a climbing hall for the bad weather day.
Only 5km away in Pfronten is one of the best high rope courses in the area. Whether alone or in a group, you will have loads of fun mastering the 6 different courses with increasing degrees of difficulty.8. Friendly People and Jolly Lifestyle With Plenty of Festivals & ParadesFrom the moment we arrived in this region, people have been extraordinarily friendly and forthcoming. They are helpful, authentic and genuine. Everyone takes great pride in their traditions and heritage and all through the year there are festivals displaying local dance, music, clothing (“Lederhosen” and “Dirndl”) and of course beer. Most people in Schwangau speak enough English to hold a conversation and many do so readily with astonishing fluency. There is also a growing international community in the region and of course tourists from all over the world. This makes Schwangau a true “international village”. When you come drop me an email and I will help you with insider knowledge about this dream location.
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9. Luxury & Rustic Hotels and Holiday AccommodationThere are lots of cozy holiday apartments and luxurious hotel rooms to choose from. Lately more and more luxury holiday apartments cater to the growing demand for a truly relaxing and luxurious holiday. Most architecture is kept in the typical “Allgaeu” style, a variation of the mountain chalet using lots of wood on the facade and featuring wooden balconies on several sides of the house. There are also many working farms which offer accommodation combined with an experience of true farm life. For a first world country and the village of the King’s Castles Schwangau has an astonishing amount of dairy farms. So get ready to hear the gentle ring of the cow bells wherever you stay:-)10. Great HistoryWith so much natural beauty, high Alpine mountains and crystal clear mountain lakes all in the same small region, it is hardly surprising that the bishops and German Kings built their castles here. Even the Romans and Celts had decided to settle here. In fact, the Via Claudia Augusta, one of the big Roman trading roads leads right through Schwangau joining the province of Germania through Austria to Rome. You can find Roman pillars and visit a whole Roman villa on your magic trip to this exceptional place.Feel free to contact me to get more information and make reservations.