Winter hike around the Schwansee

The landscape around the Schwansee lake at the foot of Hohenschwangau Castle welcomes you with dreamlike beauty. The castle of the Knights of Schwangau stood on the hill above the picturesque mountain lake as early as the 13th century. In 1829, the then Crown Prince Maximilian discovered the ruins on a walking tour and was impressed by the romantic location. The later King Maximilian II of Bavaria acquired it and had it restored. The neo-Gothic Hohenschwangau Castle became the summer residence of the royal family. Maximilian II had a landscape park laid out at its foot. Now declared a nature reserve, the special atmosphere in the historic park can still be clearly felt today.

From the parking lot in Alterschrofen, walk along the cleared footpath next to the road over to the lake. You then walk counter-clockwise along the shore. Right at the start of the tour, you are captivated by the view: The two castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau and the striking rocky mountains behind them are served to you as if on a platter. Afterwards, the path leads you into the forest; it is shady on the north bank. All the more reason to enjoy the sunlit moorland meadows and the views of the reed-covered shore at the end of the loop.