Oberstaufen & Neuschwanstein Castle

Following an amazing but exhausting 6 day stretch in Frankfurt and Munich we really needed some rest and relaxation.  Our next stop was in the foothills of the German Alps in the small mountain town of Oberstaufen.  We only ended up here because of my grand plan to stay at as many Hyatt hotels as we could to maximize my elite benefits and help qualify me for their top elite status again next year.  There was a Hyatt hotel in Oberstaufen (emphasis on WAS) which fit well into our itinerary because of its proximity to Munich and Neuschwanstein Castle.  Unfortunately the Hyatt hotel I booked, the Parkhotel Oberstaufen, ended up leaving Hyatt before our stay.  After some confusion following a communication from the hotel telling me that our reservation would be cancelled, Hyatt ultimately came to an agreement with the hotel to honor our reservation.  I had booked the stay with points so we did still end up getting to stay for free.  The only thing we sacrificed were my elite benefits (which in the end didn’t matter much) and the 3 elite night credits I would have earned toward status.  

Oberstaufen sits in the foothills of the Alps, not quite amongst the big rocky peaks, but more small green mountains and hills.  This area doesn’t quite have the wow factor of being totally immersed in the mountains but it is still extremely beautiful.  We arrived at the hotel expecting to be in a standard dog friendly room.  I wasn’t expecting any kind of upgrade because the hotel was not part of Hyatt anymore.  Much to my surprise we found ourselves in a suite that occupied the entire top floor of one wing of the hotel!  I have no idea how this happened but we weren’t complaining!  The room had a huge outdoor patio looking out onto the foothills behind the hotel.  Sitting out there you could hear the cowbells and distant moos of the grazing cows on the hillside.  Our hotel stay was off to a great start.

Our hotel and suite

Another great surprise was that after the hotel became independent they made breakfast inclusive for all the guests.  It also ended up being a really good breakfast.  Our first morning the hotel was pretty quiet so we really got to relax and enjoy the breakfast.  From there on out the hotel got more and more crowded because our stay coincided with German Unity Day.  The national holiday that commemorates the reunification of Germany.  By our last morning the breakfast was a bit of a war zone.  Oberstaufen is not a typical destination for foreign tourists, but it seems to be pretty popular for German tourists.

The town itself was one of those cute mountain resort towns.  Not large, but not exactly small either.  It was pretty dead when we arrived mid-week in early October.  My guess is that it is more popular in the summer and winter.  Spring and Fall are probably the slower times except during holiday weekends.  Downtown is highly walkable and there are plenty of restaurants and shops.  We could walk to everything right from our hotel.  

Our first day we spent hiking up into the foothills just behind our hotel.  There is a nice network of trails all around and the views of the valley were quite beautiful.  Eventually we stopped at a bench overlooking the valley below and sat for a while enjoying the sunshine and mild temperatures.  An older couple showed up a short time later and shared the bench with us.  They were very nice and we struck up a conversation with them.  The man was German and his wife was originally from Australia so language wasn’t an issue.  

Our walk around the Oberstaufen area

A short time later we all ended up at Hotel und Café Berghof am Paradies a place they told us is well known for its cakes and desserts.  The views are to die for also.  We ended up having apple strudel and coffee with them.  As always, it was great to be able to talk to some locals!

Our apple strudel (left) enjoyed on the patio of Hotel und Café Berghof am Paradies (right)

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Bavaria is a place I have wanted to visit for quite a while.  Unfortunately my itinerary was too full on my first trip to Munich so it was still on the ‘ol bucket list.  This time I planned to make it happen.  If you are unfamiliar with this castle by name then you will surely recognize it by sight.  It’s about as idyllic as you can get for a European castle.  The castle is plenty beautiful on its own, but the fact that it is perched high up amongst the foothills of the Bavarian Alps just takes it to another level.  Famously this castle was the inspiration for the Disney castle.  I can see why.  Built in the 19th century by King Ludwig II it’s pretty new as far as castles go.

The original plan called for us to stop here en route from Munich to Oberstaufen since it was more or less on the way.  I ended up changing the plan because we were simply exhausted after Oktoberfest and needed a day to recharge before we could do any serious sight seeing.

In retrospect we definitely picked a bad day to visit.  It was extremely crowded.  I forgot about German Unity Day and that ended up being the day we visited.  Oktoberfest was also still in full swing and Neuschwanstein is a popular day trip from Munich for tourists.  Neuschwanstein I think is always a popular place, but I am taking an educated guess that these other factors combined to make the crowds more like a summer day at the height of tourist season.  I believe there is a strong chance that a weekday visit the following week would have resulted in lighter crowds.  Oh well, you can’t win them all!

First, let me say that there are plenty of places I have visited that don’t quite live up to the images you see on the internet.  This place is not one of them.  Ignoring the hoards of tourists, the surrounding area is beautiful and every view of the castle is simply stunning.  At the base of the hill that the castle sits atop a relatively robust infrastructure has sprung up to support the crowds.  There seems to be plenty of parking.  There are also quite a few shops and restaurants.  

There are three ways to get up the hill to the castle.  The first option is a shuttle bus.  On this day the bus was absolutely packed and looked quite miserable.  The second option is by horse drawn carriage.  Quaint, but undoubtedly expensive.  The third option is to walk.  This was the no-brainer choice for us because we always prefer walking and the weather was beautiful.  We also had Maverick with us.

The walk up probably took about 30 minutes and is a moderate climb.  The paths are large and mostly paved depending on which route you take up.  We did not get tickets to go inside because they do not allow dogs.  I probably would have gone inside if we were dog free but it wasn’t something I felt like I had to do.  For me the draw of this castle is the exterior and the location.

With the best vantage points so crowded it was hard to get a great shot of the castle. Some of the best shots require a professional zoom but that is not something I have.

Once you get to the castle you have the option to continue walking past it.  There is a whole network of trails in this area and would be a great place to hike once you got away from the crowds.  Behind the castle spanning a gorge is a pedestrian bridge that provides the best views of the castle.  Most pictures you have seen of the castle have probably been taken here.  Our goal was to take in the view and snap a few pics from the bridge but when we arrived we found a huge line just to get out there (a much longer line than to go inside the castle).  If you have done any traveling in recent years I’m sure you have come to recognize an Instagram spot.  This was definitely one of those.  I would have loved to get a picture but we weren’t going to stand in a line to get it.  As we marveled at the line a packed shuttle bus pulled up and the entire bus load of people went right to the back of the line.  Hardly anybody headed towards the actual castle.  Crazy!

I’m not 100% sure, but I think you could probably hike into the other side of the bridge and skip any line that might be there.  Looking at the map it seemed like it would be a decent trek though.  I’d probably do it if we were staying closer.  Otherwise, like a lot of touristy places your best bet is to get there really early or really late.

We hiked around the canyon and got this shot of the infamous bridge that everyone wanted to get their Instagram shot from.

After taking an alternative route down the hill we stopped for a bite to eat and stein of beer at Schloss Bräustüberl Hohenschwangau.  The restaurants around here all seem to be catering to tourists but this one was a decent choice.  Mav gives two paws up to the fries.  Shockingly the patio was closed even though the weather was amazing.  That was definitely disappointing.

In conclusion, definitely come here.  It’s worth it in spite of the crowds.  I’d just recommend you take anti-crowd measures like arriving really early or coming in the off season.  Just don’t be like us and come on a national holiday during Oktoberfest!  When I’m back in this neck of the woods I’ll probably go back and see the inside, but seeing the outside in person again will probably still be more fulfilling.

Next stop is Switzerland, see you there!

Mav fuming in the canyon behind Neuschwanstein Castle. He couldn’t believe we wouldn’t stand in line so he could get a picture for his Instagram feed!