Neuschwanstein Castle looks as though it materialized straight from a fairy tale, and that is essentially what King Ludwig II of Bavaria intended when he commissioned it in 1869. Perched on a rugged cliff above the village of Hohenschwangau, with the Bavarian Alps and the shimmering Alpsee lake as its backdrop, the castle’s turrets, towers, and white limestone facades embody the Romanesque Revival style carried to its most theatrical extreme. It famously inspired the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland and remains Germany’s most visited castle, drawing over 1.4 million visitors annually.

The interior, accessible only by guided tour, reveals Ludwig’s obsessive devotion to the operas of Richard Wagner. The Singers’ Hall recreates a medieval festival hall, the Throne Room features Byzantine-inspired gold mosaics, and murals throughout depict scenes from Wagner’s operas — Tristan and Isolde, Lohengrin, and Parsifal among them. Despite the medieval fantasy aesthetic, the castle incorporated cutting-edge technology for its era, including central heating, running water, and even a telephone.

Pro tip: Cross the Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) spanning the gorge behind the castle for the classic postcard view — arrive before 10:00 AM to have the bridge to yourself. Book your timed-entry ticket online in advance, as walk-up tickets often sell out by midday in peak season.