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Touring European Castles and Palaces

We just got back from a 16-day trip in Europe covering four countries which explains why this blog was silent for awhile. Yes, we were a bit ambitious and crazy with our plans. We saw a lot of attractions that I can’t wait to share during our visit to Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and England. We also saw quite a few castles and palaces on this trip. My husband and I always find their history, architecture and opulence interesting. For my kids, it’s a fascinating look at the world of royalty and fairy tales. I’m previewing some of those royal homes this week, many of which will be written in detail later.

Europe Castles family

Bavaria Germany Castles

The first royal home we visited was just outside of Munich. Nymphenburg Palace, also known as Nymph’s Castle, was initally built as a summer residence and became a favorite residence of the Bavarian royal family during the 1800s. The complex of various structures is now a museum including an interesting display of fancy horse carriages.

Nymphenburg Palace

Its gardens were beautiful even with an overcast sky and a bit of rain – lined with Greek gods and rows of well manicured hedges. The Great Hall that greeted us was breathtaking in white and almost blinding.Nymphenburg Palace Great Hall

The Munich Residenz sits in the heart of the city. This ornate palace was the government seat and Bavarian royal residence from 1508 to 1918. Some of its interior was reconstructed after WWII damage and is now one of the largest museum complexes in the country. My daughter’s favorite area here was the crown jewels displays that even my husband and son found interesting.

Munich Residenz

One of my favorite rooms was the Antiquarium which was the oldest room here. The 66 meter (217 feet) long room “is the largest and most lavish Renaissance interior north of the Alps”. From its vaulted ceilings to painted walls, the room was also a banquet hall but was primarily built to display one of the duke’s antique sculptures collection. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many sculpture busts in one room – with all eyes on you as you walk down.

Munich residenz hall

Of course, we couldn’t visit Bavaria Germany without touring King Ludwig II’s magnificent castles. King Ludwig II ruled for over 20 years before he was declared mentally unfit and died under mysterious circumstances. He built these castles in remote areas more as extravagant hideaways than as residences or for official functions. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside the castles. The interior areas can only be visited in guided tours too. They’re all very popular with tour groups of all ages.

I admit the castle we were most excited to see was this fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein (approximate pronunciation noy – SHVAN – shtine) perched on a hill surrounded by forests. I have wanted to visit Neuschwanstein since I was a little girl. This was also on my daughter’s top travel list item. I don’t know what took me so long to get here. It was crowded and touristy but glad we finally got to visit.

Neuschwanstein Castle

The surrounding area was absolutely gorgeous. Some rain clouds threatened our visit but the lakes, forests, green pastures and mountains were unforgettable sights as well.

Neuschwanstein castle exterior
Castle Hohenschwangau (High Land of the Swans) was the summer and hunting residence of the Bavarian royal family and where King Ludwig II spent many summers. This was his parent’s home and where Ludwig dreamt of building his fairytale castle nearby and that, he did. We decided not to do the guided castle tour satisfied with seeing its golden exterior and swan on top as its emblem. Neuschwanstein looming over it seemed to dwarf this castle.

Hohenschwangau palace

One of the best views of Hohenschwangau and its surrounding area was this one from a lookout point on the way to Neuschwanstein.

Hohenschwangau Palace and town
About an hour away was Linderhof Palace. We missed the interior tour of the castle but were greeted with one of the most lavish gardens. Linderhof didn’t exude a fairy tale looking castle but more of a villa. We were actually surprised by its size. It was the only one Ludwig saw completed.

Linderhoff Palace

Though, the grounds were very spacious with many fountains and plenty of places for families to enjoy.

Linderhoff palace gardens

Thanks to a recommendation from Laurel from Monkeys and Mountains (who I had the pleasure of meeting in Munich) and a post by Cathy over at Traveling with Sweeney, we couldn’t wait to visit the Royal Palace of Herrenchiemsee which was on an island. Sounds like a fantasy doesn’t it? It didn’t disappoint. The scenic ferry to the island along Chiemsee, which is Bavaria’s largest lake,was beautiful too and made me wish I lived in the area.

Herrenchiemsee palace

Ludwig built this as an ode to to one of his idols, the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, and the Palace of Versailles. The main facade was an exact replica of Versailles including a Latona fountain in the center and duplicates of the side fountains. The interiors were grand,opulent and over the top but some of the best we’ve seen. We thought it was interesting that Ludwig had ordered all Bavarian symbols removed from this palace.

Herrenchiemsee palace

Salzburg, Austria

We went on a daytrip to Salzburg, Austria from Munich which was really a disservice since Salzburg was absolutely beautiful. As Sound of Music (the movie) fans, we wanted to see many of the outside scenes filmed in the movie and we did our own DIY tour. We stopped at Hellbrun Palace outside of Salzburg. There was a self-guided tour through 10 rooms which we managed to do quickly.

Hellbrun Palace

The palace is famous for its dancing fountains but also for the relocated location of the Sound of Music gazebo. Remember the scene of  “I am 16 going on 17...” with Liesl? My daughter tried her best twirl pose here.

Sound of Music gazebo

Leopoldskron Palace was used as the back facade of the Von Trapp residence in the Sound of Music. This was the same lake where they were rowing and fell in the movie. It is privately owned by an American educational institution, Salzburg Global Seminar, and open for private functions.

Leopoldskron Palace

Prague, Czech Republic

After spending 6 days in Munich, we set off for Prague. Prague Castle looms over the city along with St. Vitus Cathedral. The Guinness Book of World Records cites Prague Castle as the “largest coherent castle complex in the world”. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with many buildings of various architectural styles now housing museums and exhibitions. The complex is like a small city which includes courtyards, churches, towers, gardens and royal residences. The President of the Czech Republic’s office is located here.

Prague Castle

This was our view of one of the courtyards and buildings from high up the St. Vitus Cathedral’s tower for a spectacular view of the city.

Prague castle below

England, UK

After 4 days in Prague, we flew to London for the last leg of the trip. A visit to London wouldn’t be complete without a stroll past Buckingham Palace. Tours inside the castle are offered when the queen is not in residence in August and September. We went here during the popular changing of the guard ceremony with all the bells and whistles of the band and a very, very large crowd.Buckingham Palace guards

But, the kids enjoyed finally seeing where the Queen lived and for my daughter, where Prince William and Duchess Kate stood in the balcony to wave to the crowd after their wedding. It’s the little things that make a tween’s day.

Buckingham Palace
One of our day trips from London included a visit to Windsor Castle, which was about 20 miles (32 km) from London. According to its official site, Windsor Castle is “the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen” with almost 1000 years of history.

Windsor Castle

We loved the Queen Mary’s dollhouse collection here, the St. George’s Chapel (where 10 monarchs were buried) and elegant state rooms but once again, there was the no photography restriction.

Windsor Castle
We had a better vantage point of the changing of the guards here. It wasn’t as crowded as Buckingham but also came with the band to enhance the ceremony.

Windsor castle guards

This was a whirlwind trip but we were glad we got to see the places that have long been on our travel wish list. There were many attractions we didn’t get to see and wished we had more time to spend in some of them. It’s just another reason to go back and visit more royal residences. Hope everyone is having a great summer (for those in this part of the world) so far.

Linderhoff castle gardens
Linderhoff Palace grounds

Visiting European Castles and Palaces Tips:

  • If visiting Bavaria Germany, consider getting the 14-day ticket of the Bavarian Palace Department for free entry to over 40 sights including some of the German castles here. Single ticket (24 euro or $31 US) or Family/partner Ticket (40 euro or $52 US)
  • Check on the Salzburg Card, Prague City Card or the London Pass for savings to see any of these castles or palaces along with other attractions within the respective cities.
  • Visit them early in the day to avoid most of the tourists and tour buses especially during the summer.

*Have you visited these castles? Any favorite castles/palaces?

70 thoughts on “Touring European Castles and Palaces”

  1. Hey Mary, welcome back! I missed you! Wow, it looks like your family had super grand trip! Love all these amazing castles. I’ve been to all of them (except the ones in Germany) and this brought back fond memories. I love castle photos and I hadn’t seen so much grand palaces and castle in one post! Really awesome. Looks like the kids had a really great time. Can’t wait to read more post about your trip?

  2. That is definitely a whirlwind trip! I’ve only been to the UK castles you mentioned. I went to Salzburg in college, but I think we focused our day there on the town instead of getting to visit palaces. I’m really looking forward to your details on Neuschwanstein. It’s also on my bucket list.

    1. Neuschwanstein won’t disappoint, Michele. It was a whirlwind and exhausting trip but well worth it. We don’t do slow travel but we like it that way. We visited Salzburg for the whole Sound of Music DIY tour but would love to return and explore the area more.

    1. Thanks Jan! It was very exciting to see all these places that we’ve dreamt of. It was such gorgeous scenery and we were just happy the sun held out a bit. I can’t wait to share the views from St Vitus.

  3. I really like the Nymphenburg Palace photo. I’ve always had castle explorer as a title I’d like to be able to include on my resume :)

  4. Your photos are wonderful! A 16-day trip in Europe must have been fantastic. I’ve been to London, and the others on my list. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Mary, your photos brought back wonderful memories of our 3 week “Dream Trip” to celebrate with friends my husband’s early retirement. What a lovely trip for all of you and a memory forever for your children, too. Thanks for posting. Helen

  6. I loved the castles we visited in France & Uk in 2005 – probably because we don’t have any in Australia! Their history is so interesting and how they have stood so long.
    Have a wonderful weekend ahead. I am joining you through Oh the Places I’ve been.

  7. Wow. How fun! That is a lot to see in just 16 days, and I know you saw even more than what’s in this post!
    I love Salzburg and think it must be a great place to take kids. Such a pretty place.

    1. It was so much fun, Jenna. It was a hectic 16 days but very much worth it. There are a lot more of museums and attractions in this post. Salzburg was a great place to take the kids even with the Mozart connection.

  8. So many amazing palaces and castles – what an incredible trip! I want very badly to see Neuschwanstein and the girls and I both want to do a Sound of Music Tour – we’re thinking maybe next summer for at least part of it!

  9. Thanks Noel! We balanced out the castles with museums, churches and parks so we’re not totally ‘castled out’. I can probably spend months exploring Germany’s castles and be happy. Prague Castle is beautiful so I hope you get to visit in Oct.

  10. Love this post! I only managed to visit Buckingham Palace and Warwick Castle two years ago (haven’t blogged about it T_T). The kids are lucky that they’re able to visit these historical sites. Looking forward to reading the rest of your Euro adventures :D

  11. Wow! What a great tour of some of Europe’s best castles and palaces. I’m so glad that you visited Herrenchimsee, too. (Thanks for the mention!) You’ve got me craving a visit to the several places here that I haven’t seen yet. We didn’t have a chance to visit Hellbrun when we were in Salzburg — must do next time.

    1. Thanks Cathy! Germany had so many castles so I’m glad we got to see all of Ludwig’s castles. Herrenchimsee was awesome. I just wish they would have let us take some pictures.

  12. eileen at FamiliesGo!

    I was very happy that TT got to see schwangau before the Disney castle it inspired. I need to go back to Salzburg to explore the “von trapp” house more. The closest I got was a view from across the water.

  13. We were in Bavaria on a European vacation years ago and visited all of the castles there. I LOVE Neuschwanstein and Ludwigs castle. Its the best trip have ever taken. You have captured their beauty and makes me want to return.
    Ann

  14. WoW looks like you had an awesome trip ! I love castles and palaces as well. Germany for sure has some really beautiful ones. You did miss however a few really nice ones in Belgium ;-)

    1. We did, Freya!. We didn’t get to visit any palaces in Belgium. We were too busy eating chocolates. We’d love to go back and you can give me a list of castles I need to see :)

  15. They’re all impressive, but the German ones are especially beautiful – they look like something out of a Disney movie!

    Now I want a castle. Just a little one, 100 rooms or so.

  16. Wow you have gorgeous pictures! I love castle, they’re so romantic and full of history and art… I hope to visit Europe one day and just purely do a castle tour. Thanks for sharing :)

  17. Linderhoff Palace was secluded and may be due to its size has that quaint feel to it. Those grounds were enormous though so it more than made up for it. Thanks Dana!

  18. Great pictures Mare – I saw that Neuschwanstein Castle in Amazing Race 20. It looked a lot colder then. I can’t wait to do the castles in Europe someday. Espana first.

    Elaine

  19. Ages ago the hubby and I saw the first one (I didn’t want to butcher the name) but I’m still curious about the Linderhoff one because it looked gorgeous from a distance so I’d really like to go back. I love castles and I can’t wait to explore them more when our guys get a little older!

  20. I love Buckingham Palace for probably the same reasons as your daughter – seeing Prince William and Kate on their wedding day ther! I also used to work for a travel magazine in Windsor and passed the castle everyday. I love the traditional look of it. Very grand indeed.

  21. Great POst! i am getting ready to do my own family road trip around Germany (and several other “nearby” countries) and was wondering if you needed to request permission to take pictures. feel free to send me a personal email if that is easier. thank you very much!

  22. I absolutely love your website and this article and photos are amazing! I really would like to go to a lot of these castles. We just got back from the U.K. and didn’t see Windsor Castle, but did see two really neat castles in Scotland.

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