We reached Neuschwanstein Castle at the conclusion of our 'Romantic Road' Tour in the summer of 2006, and the 3 days we spent there were absolutely breathtaking. The castle itself is only the diamond in the crown; the quietness of the little town at night, the beauty in the surrounding countryside and lakes, the friendliness of the locals and the opportunity to ramble down small roads or climb up dazzling green mountains made up the rest of Neuschwanstein's jewels. The castle is splendid and offers world class views, as does Mary's Bridge (which can be reached by taking an alternate path along the same walk up to the castle). Keep in mind that it is incredibly steep and quite a climb, so take the inexpensive bus journey up the side if you think you might not be up for it. Take your time, and if you have the chance, stay for at least a night in the little town. The restaurant's aren't open too late, so get your food early, but the peacefulness of the place will make it all well worth your while.

Over Christmas '07 I went to the castle. The history is actually really interesting. I would suggest not going with a guided tour, you get moved through too quickly like cattle. I didn't feel like I had enough time to take it all in.

Inside, it was very pretty and there was so much to see. The views of the landscape were breath-taking from places in the castle. Bring warm clothes and walking shoes, and pleny of Euro as there are cute little shops and restaraunts where you can sit and have a nice warm meal or cup of cocoa. Also, for just 5 Euro you can take a horse drawn carriage to the top. Worth the trip, at least once.

If you're wondering whether it's worth your time to go all the way down to Fuessen to see Schloss Neuschwanstein, don't think about it, do it. I visited over 20 cities and towns in Germany this summer, and saw castles and cathedrals in Cologne, Aachen, Trier, Nuernberg, Kassel, Duesseldorf, Munich, and Salzburg, and though each destination was amazing in its own right, Neuschwanstein had its unique beauty which could not be topped.

WARNING: Do NOT underestimate the crowds that will be there. Either book your ticket in advance, or get there early in the day. We arrived at 2:30 pm and barely got in for a tour at 6:30 (which is normally past their closing time).

My initial impression of the castle from Hohenschwangau was that it looked small and puny. But once you're up on the Marienbruecke (Maria's bridge) looking directly at it in all its splendour, with the town and valley spread out behind it, wow, you'll know that image is one you'll never forget.

The interior of the palace is not as amazing as the outside, especially compared to other palaces (eg Schloss Augustusburg in Cologe), but you can't go all the way there and not see the interior. Note that the interior is only 1/3 complete I believe, and noone has really ever lived there.

But definitely, GO!

I work for an education travel company called Explorica and I recently went on a tour of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. (Gotta love perks!) Neuschwanstein Castle was one of our stops and it was AMAZING! Great guided tour of the gorgeous castle - by far the most fairy tale-like building that I have ever visited. One word of advice - wear comfortable shoes. The castle is nestled in the mountains and it is a steep uphill climb of about a mile to get to it. But don't worry - it is worth the effort!