Forggensee 2026 - Neuschwanstein and Zugspitze

Neuschwanstein

It should be clear that the author of this blog is a bit of a Neuschwanstein fanboy. But who can blame him? The symbiosis of a fairy tale castle and the picturesque backdrop of mountains, forests, and a lake is pure (romanticized) medieval charm (knowing well that Neuschwanstein, although inspired by medieval castles, is of much newer construction, built between 1869 and 1892). So, it was clear that in addition to the spontaneous visit at the beginning of the vacation (the observant reader will remember), an official one would follow. Also on foot (from the parking lot) but with a detour via the Marienbrücke, where a new phone wallpaper was created.

Zugspitze

The visit to Zugspitze was planned from the start for the third week of vacation, as my daughter also wanted to experience it. After we celebrated a large family reunion on Sunday, the next day we scaled Germany’s highest mountain (2962m), or better said conquered it with the help of the impressive Zugspitz cable car. And even though we couldn’t spot the Waldburg (which my dad says is possible on good days), the view was still very impressive. This was my first visit to Zugspitze, and I hadn’t imagined this mountain to be so majestic and awe-inspiring. In contrast, the condition of the Northern Schneeferner glacier was shocking, as it can hardly be called a glacier anymore and will likely lose its status as one in the coming years. Also somewhat disappointing was the 'descent' with the Zugspitz cogwheel railway. Tight, slow, and mostly underground, we would have preferred to take the cable car for the descent in hindsight. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful (half) day trip.