Schwangau Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Schwangau Overview
Schwangau is a small village in the eastern Allgäu region of Bavaria—the next-to-last town on Germany’s “Romantic Road.” Just imagine: Schwangau is situated less than one mile from the world-famous and spectacular Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau (Hohenschwangau vacation rentals | Hohenschwangau travel guide) castles. Staying in your very own vacation cottage within walking distance of these castles is an unforgettable experience.
Schwangau is a municipality in the district of Ostallgäu in Bavaria, Germany. The village lies 4 km from the larger town of Füssen (Füssen vacation rentals | Füssen travel guide) and just 1.5 km from Hohenschwangau, a collection of tourist-oriented facilities adjacent to the major tourist attractions of Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau.
Schwangau has no railway station, but is served by buses connecting to Füssen, Hohenschwangau, and other nearby Alpine towns. It is the next-to-last town on the Romantic Road tourist route that terminates in Füssen.
Where to stay in Schwangau?
Featured vacation rental in Schwangau:
 [ Vacation Apartment in Schwangau - 861 sqft, terrace, bike storage, parking available ] |
In addition, check out our selection of hand-selected and quality Schwangau vacation rentals and holiday apartments.
Things to See in Schwangau
Castle Bullachberg
Kirche St. Coloman
Schloss Hohenschwangau
Schloss Neuschwanstein
Marienbrücke
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Schwangau
Travel Insider Tips for Schwangau
There is a great little camping area right on the Forgensee in a small town called Brunnen right near here. You can see the castle from the campsites and its gorgeous. The campsite also has really nice facilities. Also, If you are in the area you should go to the top of the Tegelburg (by way of walking or cable car). We hiked to the Castle from the top of the Tegelburg (about a 3-3.5 hour hike).
Shared by Tamberly Jones Klemmer, Mar 2010
Best place on earth...its so magical...we did the chariot with the horses to the entrance of the Castle...unforgettable.
Shared by Emili Kuchler, Dec 2009
This is worth seeing at least once. Yes, it's filled with tourists, but there is a reason for that. It has magnificent rooms and unparalelled views. My wife, who hates crowds and doesn't care to wait for ANYTHING, said that this is a must see. (So it MUST be true!) :-) When here, you have to check out the view from the bridge. In 2008 they did reconditioning on the side you see in the picture here, so it should be terrific!
Shared by Patrick Harding, Mar 2010
Went 2 1/2 years ago. LOVED IT! One of the most beautiful places in the world....
Shared by Lori A. Peterson, Dec 2009
One of my fav castles....it truely seems to be a magical place...just wonderful!!
Shared by Monika Reichl Bentley, Dec 2009
Sure would love to go back and visit Neuschwanstein. Its breathtaking and worth the trip. Been there 4x, and we could never get enough of this beautiful Castle and its surroundings.
Shared by Louisa Penitusi Feiloakitau, Dec 2009
This castle is a Must See while in Bayern. They just renovated the backside (bridge view) in 2008, so it should be even more beautiful now. If traveling there from Munich, Murnau is a nice half way point to grab a little lunch and a nice beer. (Try Griesbräu zu Murnau.)
Shared by Patrick Harding, Dec 2009
If you want to see both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau on the same day you will need to plan for most of the day. When I was there last a couple of years ago, the lines were very long to take the tour (Neuschwanstein) but the process was very efficient (I wonder why?..LOL) and they processed the tourists very quickly. The tour is quite long however and there is the walk up and down to consider in addition to the time to get to the other castle and do that tour as well. Parking can be a little rough there. The earlier you get there, the easier it is to get proper parking. If you do wish to visit this hot spot, you should definitiely NOT go on a weekend. Go during the week when the German population is working, that way you only have to deal with the tourists and the field trips from area schools. Don't eat from the little hut at the top near Neuschwanstein....it is expensive and horrible food. During the summer and autumn months there is para-gliding
available off one of the peaks looking down onto the castle. You don't get to do it alone (one of the people from the business actually flies the paraglider)... If you are going to be in the area for more than just a few days, you may want to call ahead and make reservations for it as they seem to be booked in advance. You can get information at the concierge desk of any decent hotel in that area of Bavaria for the paragliding. Take your most comfortable tennis shoes! Walking around that area is painful with the wrong shoes since everything is cobblestone.
Shared by D Allen Shinners, Mar 2010
Schwangau
[ source: Flickr]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Schwangau
Tegelberg Cable Car
[ source: Schwangau Tourist Office ]
Enjoy breathtaking views from the top of the Tegelberg-mountain without having to climb... There is a Panoramic restaurant and lots of hiking trails near the summit of the Tegelberg. The summit also offers para-gliders or hanggliders for rental, and tandemflights are available. During wintertime the Tegelberg area is a Ski Resort which is partly made accessible with artificial snow. Skiing & snowboard lessons are available in the winter season.
Royal Crystal Spa
A truly regal crystal spa has been created in the shadow of King Ludwig's castles. The king himself might have dreamed up the atmosphere here in a realm of earth, fire, water, crystals and gems. Fifteen tonnes of precious and semi-precious stones adorn the thermal baths and sauna suite, following the teachings of St Hildegard of Bingen. The gemstone meditation cave is filled with light reflected from multi-faceted jewels. The spa's sauna suite with its Fairytale Sauna
is widely regarded as the finest in the German-speaking countries and possibly in the whole of Europe.
Hours: Monday - Thursday 9am - 10pm. Friday, Saturday 9am - 11pm. Sunday 9am - 10pm.
Admission: Adults from 9 €, Youth 6-15 years from 5.70 € depending on length of stay and services.
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Schwangau. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Schwangau: Schwangau (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Schwangau
More about the History of Schwangau
The first recorded mention of Schwangau was in relation to the two castles Hinterschwangau and Neuschwanstein in 1095. From the 15th Century with the division of domination by Ulrich von Schwangau and his four sons, the state Ascended Knights were out of their financial hardship. Then in 1440, the district was sold to Bavaria.
The two castles as well as the Schwangau itself have been exchanged between several rulers, Napolean and Maximilian being two of them. Shortly before the turn of the century gave the tourist in Schwangau feeder and the first B & Bs and hotels created. Following this development, the population is also increasingly on the tourism one.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Schwangau Travel Guide special...
This Schwangau travel guide provides you with an overview of Schwangau, Schwangau pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Schwangau destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
