Ettal, Germany

Once home of King Ludwig II, Schloss (Castle) Neuschwanstein is now open to the public. This is the castle that Walt Disney World's Cinderella's Castle is modeled after. I was fascinated by the glamour of this castle, along with many of its features. The royal suite included a bathroom which was merely a balcony built above a courtyard. There were holes that deposited the subject matter directly onto the courtyard, where it was cleaned by servants. This castle is as beautiful outside as it is inside. Part of the allure of this castle, is that it sits perched on the top of a great hill. The walk up is quite a walk. If you decide against the walk, there are many means of transportation up, including horse cart. When traveling up the hill, the castle forms in front, in its full beauty.

The cable car takes you to the Herzogstand in no time. This naturally leads to a significant amount of people on the peak. Check the walking routes on the top beforehand, to find a route to some less frequented places. The view is great however, and definitely worth seeing on a beautiful day.

Beautiful castle and surroundings. This disney-like castle left me feeling fooled, though: there's no real historical significance and the castle has always been more for tourists than anything else. It's fun to visit anyways. Convenient location close to Munich and not (too) over-crowded.

Carry plenty of water as post the huts there are no water sources along the route.

We would have visited Zugspitze even if it wasn't the highest mountain in Germany. The mountain is close to the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen whose name is legendary for every finn who has been watching ski jumping and the legends Jari Puikkonen and Matti Nykänen. The Zugspitze slopes were 'ok'.