The Marienbrücke, which leads over the wildly romantic Pöllat Gorge and offers a fantastic view of Neuschwanstein Castle, is an excellent destination for a leisurely winter hike. Of course, this can also be wonderfully combined with a visit to the royal castles, so that a varied and all-round successful holiday day at Allgäu is guaranteed.
A winter hike to the Marienbrücke with a visit to the royal castles promises a variety of beautiful holiday impressions. You can enjoy the magical snow-covered Allgäu picture book landscape in winter and get to know two of Germany's most famous sights. The ideal starting point for such a winter trip is the parking spaces in Hohenschwangau. The ticket center Hohenschwangau, which offers tickets for the castles, is also located here. These are open to visitors all year round and can be viewed in the form of a guided tour lasting approximately 30 minutes.
It is advisable to first pay a visit to the Hohenschwangau castle, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the ticket center. This building is a romantic residential castle in the neo-Gothic style, which was built from the ruins of Schwanstein Castle between 1832 and 1837 on behalf of King Maximilian II, the father of the fairy tale king Ludwig II. It served as a domicile for the royal family for many years and houses beautiful, artfully furnished rooms with great historical significance. In addition to the rooms, the approximately 90 wall paintings in the castle are also very impressive, illustrating the history of the building and depicting motifs from the world of legends and fairy tales.
From the Hohenschwangau castle, the Neuschwanstein road leads up to the Marienbrücke. Through a magical winter landscape you go up the mountain along a forest road that is now used as a toboggan run. If you remember to bring a sleigh, you can whiz down the valley quickly on the way back. A magnificent view of the beautiful Pöllat Gorge and the castle Neuschwanstein awaits you on the Marienbrücke. The bridge named after Queen Marie was built 1845 on behalf of Maximilian II as a wooden riding bridge. His son Ludwig II had the jetty 1866 replaced with an iron construction. The girders had to be replaced during renovation work in the 1980er years, but the railings have been preserved in their original form to this day.
At the “Youth” crossing point, you go down to Neuschwanstein Castle, which from the outside is reminiscent of a magnificent knight’s castle and was built between 1869 and 1886 on behalf of Ludwig II. During the tour, visitors can expect magnificently furnished halls and rooms with countless art treasures that take them into the medieval world of legends and fairy tales. Neuschwanstein Castle is a symbol of romance worldwide and is visited by around 2 millions of people every year. It made it to the final round of the seven new wonders of the world and is considered Germany's most popular attraction. You definitely have to see this magnificent building during your Allgäu vacation.
If you like, you can add a detour to Bleckenau to this beautiful winter excursion. The former royal hunting lodge, which is now a working mountain restaurant, can be reached from the “Jugend” intersection in around an hour. The hut, where you can look forward to delicious culinary delicacies, is located in an idyllic setting in the middle of the Allgäu mountains. A winter hike to Marienbrücke definitely impresses with varied impressions and guarantees a successful day on vacation in the Allgäu.
