Neuschwanstein Castle: Just Like a Fairy Tale

           Last Monday I escaped the dreary weather and pouring rain in Strasbourg for a journey that would last me two days, two 4-hour train rides, and one long trip down the autobahn. For a while now, I’ve been trying to fit Neuschwanstein Castle into my European itinerary. Everyone I know who has been there says it is a must-see. “It will blow your mind,” a friend simply said. Nestled in a small village about a two-hour drive outside of Munich, the castle is easiest to reach by car. It’s also possible to take the train from Munich to Füssen, and then a bus to Schwangau, but that can be somewhat hectic and time consuming.

            Well, to put it simply, I got lucky. A friend from the US was coming over to Europe for the week. Originally stationed in Zurich, then going up through Germany to Amsterdam, he was a mere train ride away from Alsace. We decided that we would take Tuesday, one of my days off, to explore the magnificent castle. It did inspire the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty after all, and who doesn’t want to feel like a princess for a day?

Neuschwanstein Castle

            So, right after work on Monday, I hopped a train from Strasbourg to Zurich. Or three trains, rather. Switching first in Saint-Louis, I arrived in Basel around 8:45pm. My head the clouds, it wasn’t until I was riding the escalator up to the second floor that I realized I had left my laptop in the train car. Sprinting down the upwards-moving escalator and bounding past two border control agents, I swiftly entered the train car and retrieved the laptop. Upon disembarking from the train, I was met by a hoard of Swiss police and border control. Then the questioning began. “What is in your bag?” “Where are you going” “What is your business in Switzerland?” “Empty the contents of your suitcase.” “Show me your passport.” This list goes on. I finally repacked the suitcase with my belongings that had been scattered all over the tracks, while one of the policemen phoned the French immigration authorities to make sure that I was indeed living legally in France. Once that was cleared up, I was on my way yet again. To this day, I maintain that they think I went back on the train to leave a bomb!

I arrived in Zurich around 10:30pm. Knowing we had an early wakeup the next morning, we crashed soon after reaching the hotel. 6:30am Tuesday morning was more pleasant than I expected. A fog had settled on Zurich overnight, and I was eager to make my way towards Germany, where the weathermen promised sun and clear skies. We grabbed a quick taxi to the airport, picked up a rental car, and jumped on the highway for our 3-hour journey to the castle.

Nestled into the mountains

Here is something you need to know if you are ever driving in Switzerland, Austria, or Germany: bring your own music! Listening to the music on their radio stations is like taking a trip back in time, revisiting the worst songs ever recorded from around the world. That, or German talk shows. So my advice to you? Bring your iPod. The drive altogether was not bad. And I must admit, seeing the snow-capped Alps out the right-hand side of the car for the duration of the journey was nothing less than extraordinary. Once past Switzerland and Austria, we zoomed up the autobahn at 200 kilometers per hour – a whopping 124 mph! It was awesome. However, trips up the Autobahn are not only a treat for those with a need for speed, but also for those who love to look at nice cars. BMWs, Porsches, Audis, you name a luxury car brand, and we saw one of its cars careening up the left-hand lane, only to disappear as soon as it had appeared in our rear-view mirror.

We arrived at the castle around 11:30am, and decided to go for lunch before our 1pm tour. Jumping headfirst into the German experience, my lunch consisted of 3 different types of sausage. Not bad, but they pretty much just tasted like hot dogs. Around 12:15, we started the 30-minute hike up the hill to the castle. Sitting atop a bluff above the village of Schwangau, Neuschwanstein Castle appears as if rising out of nowhere, surrounding by trees, waterfalls, and deep gorges. To the left, nothing but trees. To the right, a crystal-clear lake, another castle, and the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

For the lazy tourists wanting to skip the 30-minute hike altogether, companies offer horse-drawn carriage rides up the mountain. If you walk, beware of the horse manure you encounter along the route! Stepping in that is no fun…Once you reach the top of the mountain, you may choose from an array of restaurants and tourist shops to spend your money. Or, if you’re like me, you can simply gaze at the castle in a state of wonderment and awe.

Fairy tale.

Built for Ludwig II of Bavaria as an homage to Wagner and his operas, Neuschwanstein Castle was originally constructed in 1869. However, due to the untimely drowning of its owner, the castle was never completely finished. Only 16 of the 200 rooms in the immense castle were finished, furnished, and decorated. Of them, the king’s throne room and bedchamber are certainly two of the most exquisite. On the short, 30-minute guided tour, the throne room is the first room you enter. Designed like a Byzantine church, the room is complete with gilded ceiling, walls painted with figures of Christ and the disciples, and a brilliant mosaic floor. The floor itself, made of marble, took two and a half years and over two million stones to make. The 2000 pound gilded brass chandelier that hangs in the room is in the shape of a Byzantine crown. Curiously enough, the one thing missing in the throne room is the throne itself. It was never built because of the king’s death, and the space it would have occupied sits empty to this day.

Throughout the castle, visitors will notice the proliferation of swans – figurines, statues, paintings, etc. They are everywhere! Apparently the king was obsessed with them, so he had them shaped into door handles and faucets, painted on walls and ceilings, and made in giant statues to place all around the castle. He believed that they were his living symbol within the castle walls.

King's bedchamber

From the throne room you progress to the king’s bedchamber, filled with elaborate and ornate woodcarvings. For four and a half years, 14 wood carvers worked tirelessly on the bed, writing desk, walls, ceiling, and washing stand for the king. In all, the king had only six months to enjoy the room before he died. The sink and washbasin are very delicate and elegant structures, and of course, the faucet is shaped into…you guessed it…a swan. The fireplace, carved with figurines from one of Wagner’s operas, is a true testament to the king’s love of the composer. Also inside the bedchamberwas a secret door that opened into a private chapel. Religious much? But I did have to laugh at the cries of shock and awe that emitted from the mostly-American crowd as the guide opened the door…oh how I love seeing Americans outside of their normal habitat!

Upon leaving the bedchamber, you enter the living room, or “Swan Room”, which is essentially a room with a disproportionate number of swans in it. This leads into the cave that the king had designed for inside his castle just because he felt like. Called the Wiener Cave, it has stalagtites, stalagmites, and the whole nine yards. The final stop on the tour is the Singers Hall. The biggest room in the castle, this is where the king planned to have private performances of Wagner’s operas. It has excellent acoustics because of the pine wood ceilings, and as such, concerts have been held here every September since 1969.

Tiniest BMW ever.

When we left the castle, we hopped back on the autobahn for a quick drive up to Munich. First on the itinerary was a stop at the BMW Museum, where we heard you could sit and try the feel of all the newest car models. We had been inspired to take this little detour by a young American couple we met at the castle. Over in Germany to have “European delivery” on the husband’s new BMW, they explained to us the premise behind the deal. If you select European delivery on your car, you fly over to Germany from the states on a two-for-one deal with Lufthansa. Once in Munich, you visit the plant, get all the paperwork in order, and then take your car on a two-week jaunt throughout Europe. Wherever you please. Once the two weeks is up, you drop off your car, they ship it over to the US, and you fly on home. This particular couple had decided to do a bit of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on their tour, as well as a trip to the little old town of Strasbourg. I got so excited giving them tips on what to see and where to go, I’m quite certain I scared them off a little bit! At any rate, we stopped off at the BMW Museum, and I must say, we were less than impressed. Most of the cars are locked, so you can only really look inside them to see what they’re like. The few that are unlocked generally have people already in or around them, so if you want to see them, you have to queue up. Only spanning one floor and having probably 15 or so cars on exhibit, the museum’s greatest bit, in my opinion, is the tiny, old BMW box-on-wheels that looks as if it could only get it’s one passenger from the garage to the driveway before giving up.

Look familiar?

After the museum, we checked into the hotel and hit a local Bavarian hotspot for dinner. Spatenhaus lies right off the main drag in Munich, Maximilianstrasse. One of the city’s best-known beer gardens, Spatenhaus serves heaping mounds of traditional Bavarian foods. Instead of a breadbasket at the beginning of your meal, you get a basket of bretzel. And let's just say that vegetarian options are few and far between. Germans sure do like their beef, veal, pork, and chicken! As it was just the start of white asparagus season, I decided to have an order of them for my meal. Probably as long as my forearm, and as thick around, they wound up being quite filling! However, the “roast” chicken that was meant to come with my asparagus could not have been farther from what I expected. I suppose, if I had gone to Alabama and order chicken-fried-steak, then it would have been a different story.

We finished up dinner and made our way to the Hofbrauhaus, Munich’s most famous beer hall. Upon entering, I felt transported right back to Oktoberfest. Large wooden tables with benches filled the hall, while music blared, and people slurped liter after liter of beer from 2-pound beer steins. Thinking my asparagus and bretzel would hold up on me (stupid), I decided I could easily finish off two steins of beer. Not a good idea. Let’s just say Wednesday morning’s train ride back to Strasbourg was less-than-desirable!

As always, I am left with only fond memories of my trip to Germany and the land of fantasy that the castle embodies. And let’s be honest, how amazing is Europe? In how many places can you travel among three countries in one day and still have more than enough time to spare?

Oktoberfest in Munich: Prost!

Have you ever wondered what it was like to travel to a land where nobody cares about how many carbs they eat in a day, or how many calories they can count on their plate? Did you think that such a place existed? Well, have no fear. If gastronomic indulgence is your pleasure, then all the answers to your life problems lie in one word: Germany.

            I arrived in Munich last Thursday to experience the absurdity that is Oktoberfest. The largest festival in the world dedicated to one beverage – beer. For sure there is nothing else that can rival its debauchery. Not knowing what to expect, and admittedly a little afraid to enter the fray without the guidance of an experienced German, my friend Aliki and I spent Thursday afternoon exploring the city and enjoying authentic German cuisine.

            You know how in the US at most restaurants you get a complimentary breadbasket before your meal? In Germany, this lovely carb-fest is replaced with none other than a basket of “bretzel”, or as we call it in the US, soft pretzel. And seriously Philadelphia, watch out. Germany has you totally beat with their giant creations. Giant…I’m not even sure that does justice to the size of these things. Gargantuan may be more like it. One bretzel is half the size of my torso. Enough to feed at least five people.

Told you they were big

            After you have gorged yourself on bretzel, always accompanied by a monstrous glass of beer, your real meal arrives - most likely some combination of sausage and sauerkraut, always with a side of potatoes. Always the potatoes. Needless to say, you leave the German dining table feeling like someone needs to roll you out the door. Or at least I did. Uncomfortably full after a traditional Bavarian feast, we strolled (or waddled) home to catch up on sleep and prepare for a full day ahead…

            Oh, I almost forgot. The sites. Well, a lot of people will tell you the only thing to do in Munich is the Fest. And to an extent, they would be right, unless you like going to random museums and then spending the rest of the day sitting and drinking in a biergarten. Not the worst thing in the world, but not exactly intellectually stimulating. However, there is beautiful architecture, including the Glockenspiel and the Opera House. If you’re an Olympics buff, I suppose a trip to the old Olympic grounds would be in order. In traditional European fashion, most the roads converge on “platzs” or open walking areas filled with restaurants, bars, and shops. And the city is impeccably clean! Perhaps my appreciation of this cleanliness is heightened because I now live in France, land where people refuse to pick up after their dogs and cigarettes adorn the city streets like stars on Hollywood Boulevard, but still. I was impressed.

Glockenspiel

            Friday afternoon we met up with our friend Stefan, a bona fide Bavarian, and our guide through the world of Oktoberfest. Clad in lederhosen, clogs, and a checked shirt, he fit right in. Dressed in jeans, flats, and a cute top, I, more or less, did not. Nevertheless, the three of us made our way through the crowds at Thereisenwiese to Hippodrome, the tent where Stefan had (luckily) secured us entry wristbands. Note about Oktoberfest: entry into the tents can be somewhat tricky. If you don’t have a table reservation or wristband, you most likely won’t get in. Some tents will allow you to go early (i.e. 7:30am), stand in line, and get in that way – I actually had a few friends who did this – but it often doesn’t work. Despite these obstacles, there are a few tricks of the trade that might help you in. 1. Men, go with women. The security guards are much more sympathetic if you have someone pretty on your arm. 2. Woman, look pretty and smile at the security guards, then they will let you in. 3. Learn German so you can talk your way in. And my favorite, 4. Have a German friend that lies and tells the security that you work for the largest company in Munich, have a table inside, are here with business associates, and that it will look very badly for them if they don’t let you in. (Just in case you were wondering, it does actually work).

Hippodrome Tent

            Shortly after getting in to Hippodrome, we left to meet up with Stefan’s friends at the Hofbrauhaus tent. Employing method number 4 outlined above, we entered the tent, only to never find his friends. But it really doesn’t matter – it’s Oktoberfest! After two of those beers, you’re friends with everyone. And so we drank, and we made friends. Friends with tables. And we stayed from 4pm until closing, singing along with the bands and dancing on the tables. It was packed!! Oddity about Oktoberfest and/or Germans: they love to sing “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. Bizarre, right? Did make me a bit homesick though!

Crowded inside the tents

            Saturday was much like Friday. We woke up on the late side, grabbed a bite to eat, and went to meet friends at the Fest. This time we were meeting my friend Sarah from Semester at Sea, who graduated from UVA two years ago and recently moved to Zurich. She was up in Munich with another UVA girl her year, Whitney, and Whitney’s boyfriend, who is from Bavaria. Lucky for us, they had gotten to the Ochsenbraterei tent at 7:30am that morning, and had secured a table. 

Semester at Sea reunion!

Having smiled nicely at the bouncer Aliki and I had had no trouble getting into the tent. With them at a table, we had no trouble getting beer. It was quite nice. The night progressed much the same. Lots of rowdy people drinking, singing, and dancing on tables. The band continued to play American country favorites, mixed with a few Bavarian traditional songs. I now know the complete dance to one of these songs, but couldn’t even attempt to tell you the name of it if I tried.

Seriously big beer.

            Sunday was a day of recovery, to say the least. We got up late, lounged, ate a big meal around 3pm, walked a bit around the city, and returned to the hotel. I doubt I will be drinking beer again for a VERY long time. Oh, but the meal we had. Now that was entertaining. In Germany, everything is closed on Sunday. And I mean, everything. We walked all over the city until we found something open for a late lunch. What did we manage to find? The only Croatian restaurant in all of Munich. So much for authenticity, huh? But oh well, it was good. However, at the end of the meal, I was reminded why there are stereotypes about rude Germans. It is because, in fact, they are rude. Aliki and I were having an enthusiastic conversation about travel (what else?) and why we love it, and perhaps happened to get a tiny bit loud. But the restaurant was full and bustling with people, so it’s not like we were the only ones making noise. As we were finishing, a lovely (insert: very sarcastic tone) German couple was seated next to us. No sooner had she sat down then she turned and yelled at us “Are you deaf? Why are you screaming? Be quiet!” Rude, rude, rude. What if I had been slightly deaf? I doubt she would have even felt bad. Steaming, we left the restaurant, walked around, and returned to the hotel. As soon as we got to the room we cuddled up in our duvets, turned on a movie, and before we knew it, were sound asleep…until about 11pm.

            A little before 11, stomachs growling, we woke up. It had been eight hours since we had eaten and we were hungry. Problem: everything in Germany is closed on Sunday. What in the world we were going to do? I happened to mention that if we were in the US we could have anything delivered within minutes. “Great idea!”, Aliki said. We began to search online for “food delivery + Munich”. Turns out, most of the places that deliver food in Munich are Indian restaurants. No problem for me there, I love Indian as much as the next person. The one problem? How were we supposed to make the call? Neither one of us spoke German. So we tried “Hello, do you speak English?” The answer: “Nein. Sprechen sie Deutch?” Our reply: “No, no German.” They hang up. Turns out, ordering food for late night delivery in a foreign country, not the easiest thing. Eventually we found a place where we could order online. We used google translator to translate all the names of the dishes (tedious work), made our choices, and placed the order. Then we waited. And we waited. And we waited. This was 11pm. When did the food finally arrive? 12:30am. We got an angry phone call from a non-English speaking delivery man who was locked outside the hotel. We crept downstairs, opened the door, paid, grabbed the food, and ran back up – lest anyone should see us being pigs and eating in the middle of the night! Of course, by this time, I was no longer hungry. I took one bite, put my food to the side, and went to sleep. However, there is a silver lining. I now know where to order late night food in Munich, in case I ever go back and get hungry in the middle of the night.

            As I write this, I’m taking the train from Munich back to Strasbourg. Back to the real world, the one where I start my job in 3 days! I am so excited to get to work. I’ve been itching to have something to do in Strasbourg, and the teachers at my school seem incredibly nice. My first day is only observation, but I am glad to finally meet the teachers, students, and do what I came here to do – teach!

P.S. Since we continue to not have internet at our apartment, I post all of my entries from the local Subway. 5 dollar foot long, anyone?

P.P.S. And if you're wondering what prost means, it's cheers in German.