Our fifth day in Germany started off with a bus ride to Schwangau to see Castle Neuschwanstein. Since this day was also a public holiday in Germany, our destination was very busy when we arrived. Before heading up the mountain, we walked over to take pictures of the Alpsee.

After we did the tourist thing with the lake, we got some snacks and drinks before departing up the side of the mountain towards Neuschwanstein Castle. I will tell you, that was a rough hike. The trail we took was very steep and I probably could have worn better shoes. But I did feel a sense of accomplishment that I was hiking up something steeper than Cardiac Hill in Oakland. The picture below is from a small waterfall on the trail.

Once we reached the top of the hill, we first went over to a bridge that faced the castle to get pictures. On that bridge, you could not only see the castle but the German country side and rivers in the distance.

After that, we walked over to the castle to take a tour of it. It was a guided tour, and every person was given a little phone thing so that they could hear the guide. The inside of the castle was so beautiful, and I really understood why they called Ludwig II (the king who built this castle) the fairytale king.

Something that surprised me was when the tour guide told us that the king never wanted anyone else to visit this place, especially after we saw the beautiful ballroom inside. I would place a picture here, but no pictures allowed on the tour!

After our tour, we walked back down the hill and drove to the town of Füssen. It was a very cute historic town, with long cobblestone streets. It was also busier than usual, at least according to our professor.