On Monday night we arrived at Füssen at the southern end of the Romantic Road. We are staying for two nights at an upmarket Stellplatz (i.e. washing machine available!) to give us a full day at what is probably the biggest tourist attraction in Germany – the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. The castles are facing each other across a valley just outside Füssen. Needless to say no photographs were allowed inside the buildings.

Hohenschwangau was built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria in the 19th century on the site of a 12th century fortress. The views over the surrounding countryside as we walked up the hill were impressive although we could have used the horse and cart service to save our legs!

Maximilian’s son, Ludwig II, was brought up here but when he became king himself he decided he wanted something grander so built the palace of Neuschwanstein high up on the other side of the valley. The interior design of this building is almost beyond belief showing just how wealthly the Bavarian monarchy was, although this project put Ludwig II into major debt. Unfortunately he died before the castle was fully completed (drowned under mysterious circumstances!).

The views as you approach the castle, down to the valley are fantastic. You can also see why this was said to have inspired Walt Disney’s design for the castle you see on the logo at the start of all Disney films. The best views are said to be from the Marienbrücke bridge which was closed on our visit for restoration – it did look a bit rickety from a distance!

Well, that’s the Romantic Road completed. Where next? We can hear Italy calling ………….