Day 5 – Neuschwanstein, Ludwig’s Castle and Oberammergau

9/15/2006 – Day 5 – Neuschwanstein, Ludwig’s Castle and Oberammergau 

This morning we journey to Neuschwanstein, the castle Walt Disney patterned Cinderella’s castle.  I am not positive, but I think we are getting there by crossing into Austria, then back into Germany.  On our way, we pass some imposing mountains.  While overcast today, we drive by this golf course, we have this fantastic view. 

After we arrived at Neuschwanstein, we have an assigned time for entry into the castle.  So, Carmen and I decide to do some hiking and find ourselves on a trail behind the castle to Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge).  Really, a fancy name for the bridge across Pöllat gorge.  The original, wooden bridge was built in 1845; the filigree iron bridge later replaced it in 1866 by King Ludwig II.  In any case, look at the view of the castle we get. 

Off the bridge and following the trail, we have yet another view of the castle.  I get a picture of the castle with the two of us so people can see we were actually here.  Look how far you can see.

While heading back for our castle entry time, we have this view.  I find out that the castle in the background by the lake is Schloss Hohenschwangau.  What a view. 

I happened to do a perimeter walk around the lower courtyard and gateway building, just to look around and found this fantastic view of Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) and the Pöllat Gorge waterfall.  This is the bridge we were on earlier.  Look at how high the bridge is over the gorge.

The foundation stone for Schloss Neuschwanstein was laid down in September 1869.  We enter the gate at the lower courtyard and have a good view of the upper courtyard and the Palas.  The Palas is the imposing or prestigious building of a medieval Pfalz or castle that contained the great hall and is right in the middle of the courtyard.

Our golden ticket as you would say.  As you can see our castle tour number is 421 and when it is displayed at the entrance gate we are off. 

We are not supposed to take pictures of the inside of the castle, but I cannot help myself.  Here is one of the halls we are going by. 

I just said that I could not help myself.  Then we enter this room.  Wow!  Check out this chandelier and ceiling fresco.  Imagine lowering the chandelier each night to light the candles. 

After passing through the castle we still have plenty of time before needing to meet the bus, we decided to follow the stream into the Pöllat Gorge with another couple on the tour with us.  Checkout the walkway built onto the side of the rock wall. 

Back on the tour bus, we are on our way to Linderhof Castle and I was able to get a parting shot of Neuschwanstein Castle peaking over the trees.  This is quite an  imposing castle and I can see why Walt Disney would pick this castle to use as inspiration for Cinderella’s castle.

After traveling through the countryside, we passed many fields with a line shack.  This is typical of them. 

Getting to Linderhof Castle we park in the bus parking lot.  We walk to the castle and I have to go up the garden terraces.  This is the view from up by the Temple of Venus.  Linderhof Castle is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.

We were walking down towards the castle when the fountain started.  It usually runs every half hour and we were lucky to be in the right place at the right time.  Dominating the large basin is the gilded fountain group "Flora and cherub".

There are formal gardens on each side of the castle.  In the back of the castle, a cascade of thirty marble steps characterizes the northern garden. The bottom end of the cascade is formed by the Neptune fountain and at the top, there is a Music Pavilion.

Check out this vine covered walkway.  It curved up and around to the music pavilion. 

After traveling through the vine-covered walkway, we are the music pavilion and have a full view of the castle and the surrounding gardens.  You can see the round temple with the statue of Venus in the distance. 

Check out the Naiad fountain consisting of three basins and the sculptures of water nymphs.  Well in this case it is a close-up cropped picture of only one of them. 

Next we visited the Venus Grotto, the artificial dripstone cave with its lake and waterfall was modelled on the Hörselberg from the first act of the Wagner opera "Tannhäuser".  This natural stage was built in 1876/77 for royal viewing.  The Venus Grotto features a "royal seat", a Lorelei rock and a gilt boat in the shape of a shell.

Now we are on our way to Oberammergau, a town in the Bavarian Alps in Germany.  It’s known for its once-a-decade performance of the Passion Play since 1634 in the Passion Play Theater.  Many of the houses have frescoes of various nursery rhymes.  This one has the story of Hansel and Gretel. 

Not sure is only one family lives in these houses or if an extended family lives here, but the houses look large from the outside.  Many of the frescoes are of traditional Bavarian themes, fairy tales and religious scenes.  This building depicts the story of Little Red Riding Hood.  The caption above the wolf-disguised-as-Grandmother scene says, “Grandmother, what’s happened to you? Why are your eyes and mouth so big?”

This might be a Passion Play motif.  Anno Domini 1633 might refer to the year the town began preparing for the Passion Play performance.  I image that the painting refers to the people who organized and worked on setting up the play. 

Besides the houses painted in different schemes there are a number of statues around town.  Not sure, what the scene is supposed to represent by the sculpture is very detailed. 

The village known for its long tradition of woodcarving and apparently sculpting and has some nice pieces out and around town.  Not sure but I think this seems to represent St. Nicholas delivering toys. 

Leaving Oberammergau, we are in Garmisch for the night.  Here is the church and tower of the catholic parish church St. Martin. 

The church looks very normal from outside, but once you step inside is beautiful.  Inside St Martin’s the dais is very ornate.  The ceiling and walls are all lovely painted and the church although small is well worth a visit. 

Walking around town as the sun is setting I am able to get a picture of the sun’s last rays striking the top of Mt. Zugspitze, or I think it is. 

Tomorrow we leave Germany and head into Austria where we will spend the night in Innsbruck