We started our day at the Neuschwanstein castle. We walked around the small town and got to see Alpsee bei Schwangau. It is a stunning lake near the castle. It was so peaceful and everything about this trip looks like it would be out of a picture book or a laptop background.
After that we took a short hike to a bridge parallel to the castle. I have been telling everyone I know about this castle, it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It seems unreal and I feel so lucky to have been able to see it in person. There’s no other way to describe it than to say it feels like I’m living a fever dream. We took so many photos and stood there watching the castle.
We continued on to the tour of the inside of the castle. Although the castle wasn’t finished while King Ludwig was alive, we were able to tour the area of the apartment he lived in. I was most surprised by how modern the castle was. He had an automatic flush toilet, a working light, and he seemed to enjoy some more type of amenities. The King (along with about 30 servants) lived in this castle by themselves. They never hosted parties or group gathers, though he definitely had the ballroom for it. It seems as though the King felt uncomfortable with the outside world and he created his own safe haven through the designs of his castles, where he could feel at home and comfortable. Although he may have appreciated the alone time, it seems to have been a very lonely life. We learned on our tour that he spent a lot of time fantasizing about different parts of life in his empty ballroom which makes it sound like he struggled a lot in his life. The tour was very insightful and very cool to learn about.
After this we got back on the bus and made our way to an adorable town. We walked around a little bit and found some flee markets to shop at. I was able to find a couple super fun souvenirs and was able to spend some more exploring the town.
After this we went to visit Weiskerche which is a Catholic Church in the middle of nowhere. But it was absolutely stunning. The murals on the ceiling and the gold decor made the whole room literally shimmer. The light was reflecting throughout the whole church.
Today was a tourist, causal type of day and I loved every part of it. This experience is something so insane and I still can’t believe I’m actually here.