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Neuschwanstein Castle

When we went to Munich this November it looked like a fairy tale. But it was only in Neuschwanstein Castle that the fairy tale got real. You may never have heard of it, but you could all recognize it as the inspiration behind the castles of the Disney movies.

(Scroll down for the Italian version)

Those who built it conceived it more as a scenography than an actual palace. King Ludwig II, the Mad King as many called him, took inspiration from the ancient German legends and the work of composer Richard Wagner of whom he was the greatest admirer. The castle was named after an hero of a Wagner’s opera, Lohenegrin, also known as the Knight of the Swan. And as a swan the castle hovers above the Bavarian mountains that it’s built upon.

Once he was detroned, Ludwig II wanted to create his own personal universe where he could still be king, a realm of beauty, an homage to the fairy tales he once heard as a child and then Richard Wagner glorified in his music. He himself took care of the design of the rooms and their dispositions, he even built an artifical grotto with a functioning waterfall. Even if it was made to look medieval, all the innovations of the time were present: a functioning telephone line, central heating and all the comforts that a true king deserves.

From Munich, the best way to the castle is the train to Füssen, a small mountain village straight out the nineteenth century. Fussen is very little, take your time to stroll around its little streets, look at the typical houses in German style and then look up towards the mountain, whose top in winter is lost among the white clouds.

There are no fancy places here, everything closes very early, but if you get the chance try the local food. It’s like a meeting between the cool street food you can find in Munich and the original Bavarian cuisine, with its strong tastes and savory meats.

Once we arrived in Füssen (a two-hours train ride from Munich) there were few buses right next to the station that brought us directly to Hohenswangau, the town at the feet of the Castle. The return bus ticket costs 2,40€. There are also cabs that bring you to the castle but they are obviously more expensive.

After a ten minutes bus ride, we finally arrived at Hohenswangau. The ticket office and information point is very close to the bus station and it’s very easy to find. We didn’t booked our ticket in advance, but if you are planning a visit during the summer, you should consider buying them on their website since in that season queues can be even three hours long. Keep in mind that visits to the castle are scheduled, so you must be in front of the castle exactly at the time wrote on your ticket.

Once we bought the ticket, we wanted to reach the Marienbrücke bridge in order to see the iconic view of the castle. It takes around 30/45 minutes to get there. Obviously the road is a little bit sloping but if you think that it might be too hard walking to the bridge there’s a bus that takes you there.

Any way you choose to get there, try and savour the haunting beauty of the woods all around, their beautiful colors and perspectives that open at every road turn. If you have the chance, listen closely to the sound of the woods and you could hear, beyond the chirping of birds and the sound of leaves, the majestic roar of the waterfall.

From the bridge, the walk to the castle was short and easy. We picked one of the last tour of the day at 4PM but since we arrived at Hohenswangau around 10AM, after lunch we had no idea on how to spend our time till the visit, so keep that in mind.

The visit itself was very interesting and the guide told us King Ludwig’s story in every detail. The visit was very short, though, spanning for around ten or fifteen minutes. Walking inside those halls we imagined the kind of life which was led there, in the beautiful setting of the mountains, with the village so little under our feet that looked like a doll house.

Neuschwanstein Castle is the perfect place to soak up all the majestic beauty of the Bavarian scenery, and a great opportunity to relive the story of one of the most unique kings in Europe. If you’re in Munich you absolutely should go to Neuschwanstein to crown your visit.

One last tip: if you’re visiting in autumn/winter plan carefully your time schedule. After visiting the castle we were planning on having dinner in the village, but as soon as we got to the town center, we sadly found out that every restaurant was closed. Since we were sleeping in a hotel between Hohenswangau and Füssen, we had to go back to Füssen to have dinner and after that we took an half an hour walk back to the hotel, since buses stopped running (it was 8PM).

Quando abbiamo visitato Monaco questo Novembre ci sembrava di essere in una favola. Ma solo al castello di Neuschwanstein la favola è diventata realtà. Forse non ne avete mai sentito parlare ma lo riconoscerete come l’ispirazione dei castelli nei film della Disney.

I suoi costruttori l’hanno concepito più come una scenografia che come un palazzo vero e proprio. Il re Ludwig II o, come molti lo hanno chiamato, il Re Folle si è ispirato alle antiche leggende germaniche e alle opere del compositore Richard Wagner, di cui era il più grande ammiratore. Il castello prese il nome dell’eroe di un’opera di Wagner, Lohenegrin, conosciuto anche come il Cavaliere del Cigno. E come un cigno il castello si libra sopra le montagne bavaresi su cui è costruito.

Dopo che fu deposto, Ludwig II volle creare un suo personale universo dove poteva ancora essere un re, un regno di bellezze e un omaggio alle favole che udiva da bambino poi glorificate dalla musica di Richard Wagner. Il re stesso curò i progetti delle stanze e la loro disposizione, costruì persino una grotta artificiale con una cascata funzionante. E anche se il castello fu costruito con un aspetto medievale, tutte le innovazioni dell’epoca erano presenti: linee telefoniche, riscaldamento centralizzato e tutte le comodità che merita un re.

Da Monaco, la via più veloce per arrivare al castello è il treno per Füssen, un piccolo villaggio di montagna che sembra uscito dall’Ottocento. Fussen è molto piccola, prendetevi del tempo per passeggiare per le sue stradine, godetevi la vista delle sue tipiche case in stile tedesco e poi guardate verso la montagna la cui cima, in inverno, si perde fra nuvole bianche.

Non ci sono posticini eleganti qui e tutti i locali chiudono molto presto ma, se ne avete l’occasione, provate il cibo locale. È un incontro fra lo street food alla moda che potreste trovare a Monaco e l’originaria gastronomia bavarese con i suoi sapori forti e le sue carni speziate.

Una volta arrivati a Füssen (circa due ore in treno da Monaco) c’erano alcuni bus che ci hanno portato direttamente a Hohenswangau, la cittadina ai piedi del castello. Il bus per il ritorno costava circa 2,40 €. Ci sono anche taxi che portano direttamente al castello ma ovviamente sono più costosi.

Presi i biglietti, abbiamo voluto raggiungere il ponte di Marienbrücke per goderci l’iconica vista del castello. Per arrivarci ci vogliono dai trentacinque ai quaranta minuti. Ovviamente la strada è in forte pendenza, quindi se pensate che la camminata sia troppo ardua ci sarà un bus che vi porterà fino a lì.

In qualunque maniera deciderete di arrivarci, provate a godervi la misteriosa bellezza dei boschi tutt’intorno, gli stupendi colori e gli scorci che si svelano a ogni curva della strada. Se potete, ascoltate con attenzione al rumore dei boschi e sentirete, dietro al cinguettare degli uccelli e al suono delle foglie, il ruggito maestoso della cascata.

Dal ponte, raggiungere il castello è facile e veloce. Abbiamo scelto uno degli ultimi tour della giornata, alle quattro del pomeriggio, ma dato che siamo arrivati a Hohenswangau per le dieci del mattino non avevamo idea di come passare il tempo fino alla visita. Tenetelo a mente.

La visita in sé è stata molto interessante e la guida ci ha raccontato la storia di re Ludwig in tutti i dettagli. Ma la visita è stata molto breve, dieci minuti o quarto d’ora circa. Mentre camminavamo per quei saloni abbiamo immaginato la vita che veniva condotta lì, nel meraviglioso scenario montano, col villaggio così piccolo laggiù che pareva una casetta per le bambole.

Il castello di Neuschawnstein è il posto perfetto per immergersi nella magnificenza del panorama bavarese e una grande opportunità per rivivere la storia di uno dei regnanti più unici di tutta Europa. Se state visitando Monaco, una visita a Neuschwanstein sarà il coronamento perfetto del vostro viaggio.

Un ultimo consiglio: se la vostra visita si svolge nei mesi autunnali o invernali, pianificate con attenzione la vostra tabella di marcia. Dopo la nostra visita al castello volevamo cenare al villaggio ma appena vi siamo tornati ci ha rattristato scoprire che tutti i ristoranti erano chiusi. E dato che il nostro albergo era fra Hohenswangau e Fussen, abbiamo dovuto tornare a Fussen per cenare e poi camminare per circa una mezz’ora fino al nostro albergo, dato che le corse in bus erano finite (erano circa le otto di sera).

Eternal Rome

Have you ever found a views that you can watch for hours and you are never tired of? The Eternal City could transport you directly back to the history behind the monuments, between the streets.

I came to Rome more than a couple of times, and every single time I can’t help but falling in love even more with this city. This is one of the most outstanding places you could ever go to, with its gorgeous ancient buildings, to the magnificent colosseum. Everything is magical about this city, and any city is amazing at night, not even Paris maybe, and you know how much I love Paris. I hope you will come here very soon, because trust me, pictures doesn’t give this city justice.

What to see and do:

Climb up St Peter’s Basilica Dome and you will have all the eternal city at your feet. If you go up during the daylight hours you will have the interior lights plus sunlight and the atmosphere will be quite unreal.

Trastevere, As far as I concern this is the best neighborhood in Rome. Fullfilled with vintage stores and cute restaurants, here it you feel like you are in another world. You could spend hours wandering around without getting tired. In the evening, find you favourite restaurant and have dinner here, you won’t be disappointed.

Fontana di Trevi, I know, pretty touristy right? But this place is so magical and I can stop myself from writing about it. It was recently restored, so now it’s white as snow, and the contrast it makes with the water is awesome. And don’t forget to make a wish by throwing a coin in the fountain.

Villa borghese, this place is soooo calming. You will constantly find statues, but the best part is the little lake where you can get a boat and having the time of your life there. You won’t be disappointed. And don’t forget to check the views from “Terrazza del Pincio”.

Rione monti, you probably know how much I adore finding beautiful doors (and snap them)… I can say that in this district you can find my favourite ones (check out the picture scrolling down), in summer these two doors are covered by a waterfall of green leafs that make the doors even more pretty.

Villa Pamphili, besides the amazing villa, the gardens around it are so gorgeous. Awesome place to spend an entire afternoon by doing completely nothing.

Don’t miss the sunset from the bridge of Castel San’t Angelo overlooking the St Peter’s Basilica Dome. This is something I will never forget..

Where to eat:

Grazia & Graziella, to taste the best Cacio & pepe (pasta with cheese and pepper), typical of Rome.

Caffè Propaganda, near the Colosseum, this black and white bistrot is probably one of the most elegant ones in the city. They have a great selection of teas and tasty macarons.

Ladurée Salon de The, this is the first (and the only one in Italy until now) Salon de the of Laduree opened in Italy, go there to taste the best french patisserie in the hearth of Italy.

Coromandel, if you wander in & between the little streets in the city center and your are searching for the perfect spot where to brunch you might find this cute café. Besides being pretty, their waffles and pancakes are A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

Tiramisù da Pompi, while I was strolling around the city with Moeko (check her blog here moekomunaretto.com) she took me there and when I ate their tiramisù (that you can try in so many flavours) I felt like I couldn’t stop myself from having more and more. There are many spots where you can try it, so find the perfect one for you.

Ristorante Angelina, on Sunday you can have a super brunch here before strolling for the rest of the day around Rome.

(Scroll down for the Italian version)

Avete mai trovato quella vista che guardereste per ore senza mai stancarvi? La città eterna vi trasporterà indietro nel tempo tra i suoi monumenti e le sue strade.

Sono stato a Roma più volte, ma ognuna è così unica e non riesco a smettere di innamorarmi di questa città. E’ davvero uno dei posti più incredibili che si possano visitare sulla terra: con i suoi fantastici edifici che rivestono ancora tutta la storia che c’è dietro, e ovviamente il magnifico Colosseo.

Spero davvero che la visitiate al più presto (o magari di nuovo se ci siete già stati), perchè credo che delle semplici foto non rendano la sensazione di vivere davvero questa città.

Cosa fare e vedere:

Salite sulla cupola di San Pietro per ammirare la città eterna dall’altro, qualcosa che credo non dimenticherete facilmente. Se salite durante il giorno vedrete la luce esterna filtrata dalle finestre che renderà l’atmosfera davvero surreale.

Trastevere, è il mio quartiere preferito. Negozi vintage e i ristorantini vi faranno vivere in un altro mondo. Potreste passare interi pomeriggi a girovagare tra una stradina e l’altra senza mai stancarvi. E alla sera… cercate il vostro ristorante preferito (ce ne sono davvero tantissimi) e concedetevi una cenetta romantica, sono sicuro che ne resterete entusiasti.

Fontana di Trevi, Anche se forse troppo turistica (magari visitatela al mattino presto per godervi l’atmosfera di calma) non posso non inserirla tra le mie cose preferite. E’ stata recentemente restaurata, ed è tornata a splendere di nuovo e il contrasto con l’azzurro dell’acqua la rende ancora più caratteristica. E non dimenticatevi di And don’t forget to make a wish by throwing a coin in the fountain.

Villa borghese, nello scappare dal caos cittadino rifugiatevi qui. Troverete qua e là statue, una vista incredibile su Roma (Terrazza del Pincio), un antico orologio ad acqua, ma la parte migliore sarà noleggiare una barchetta nel laghetto con qualche amico.

Rione monti, saprete probabilmente quanto mi piace cercare ovunque le casette caratteristiche, e sopratutto i loro portoni (e fotografarli, immaginando come se ognuna potesse essere mia) e posso dire che in questo quartiere trovate i miei preferiti, durante l’estate sono completamente incorniciate da una cascata di foglie verdissime che le rendono ancora più belle.

Villa Pamphili, oltre alla bellissima villa troverete anche un parco dove potervi rilassare o passare un intero pomeriggio esplorando i giardini.

Non dimenticate di vedere il tramonto dal ponte di Castel San’t Angelo guardando la Basilica di San Pietro. E’ stato uno dei momenti più magici di sempre, davvero mozzafiato..

Dove mangiare:

Caffè Propaganda, se siete vicino al Colosseo concedetevi una pausa qui, vi assicuro che non vi deluderà! È probabilmente il bistrot più elegante della capitale.

Ladurée Salon de The, è il primo “Salon de the” di Ladurée aperto in Italia, anche se non tipico del luogo ai macarons non si resiste mai, non è vero?

Coromandel, lo troverete girovagando per le stradine di Roma, ed è anche questo a renderlo così tipico, oltre all’arredamento interno. Provate i pancankes sono giganti e deliziosi.

Tiramisù da Pompi, mentre Moeko (date un’occhiata al suo blog qui moekomunaretto.com) mi faceva da guida turistica mi ha anche portato a mangiare il tiramisù da Pompi. Non troverete solo il classico ma ce ne sono di tantissimi tipi e gusti, ero davvero indeciso su quale scegliere ma alla fine ha vinto quello alla fragola.
Ristorante Angelina, di domenica concedetevi una piacevole sosta per il brunch prima di una bella passeggiata romana.

Grazia & Graziella, a Trastevere per provare gli spaghetti cacio e pepe tipici di Roma.

Europe Travels

King’s Landing or Dubrovnik?

I’ve have to be honest, when I was thinking about my next trip, I never took Croatia into consideration. Even if Croatia is a state close to my home country, well known for its wonderful and breathtaking landscapes, for some stupid reason I never though it deserved my attention. Thanks God this year I changed my mind and finally decided to give this country a shot, and trust me guys, that was one of the best decision I ever made. Since we went there by car, we obviously decided to visit multiple places, so in this guide and in the next one I’m going to talk about every single stop we made.
The first stop was Dubrovnik. After traveling for 13 hours, we finally reached the first city listed in our trip plan. I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy driving for all those hours, but it was definitely worth it.
With its very unique city center, Dubrovnik in 1979 joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Obviously the city most likely lives around tourism, which can be a little bit annoying since everyday the center was fulfilled by tourist that made our stay less enjoyable, but hey, we’re tourist too, so no big deal. The city center, called “Old Town”, is surrounded by some massive walls, which were needed in the past to protect the city from assaults. As soon as you walk across the walls in order to enter into the heart of the town, you feel like you were catapulted into another dimension, or maybe into the Game of Thrones set, if you know what I mean.

What to see and do:
Obviously you must get lost among all the cute little streets and alleys that cross the Stradun, the major street in the Old Town. That was the first thing we’ve done, so we could get a better perspective of what Dubrovnik offers. We could’ve easily spend every day of our stay just wandering around aimlessly.

Taking a walk on the Walls of Dubrovnik was something we really enjoyed, besides the hot weather obviously. It took us almost 2 hours to do the entire walk! While I was walking it was impossible not to think about all the soldiers that in the past put their feet exactly were I was standing. If you want to go there be sure to plan your visit in the early morning or at sunset.

Seeing the Dubrovnik’s panorama at sunset is something I will never forget. We had to took a kinda expensive cable car in order to reach the perfect spot to enjoy the view, but it was definitely worth it.

The trip to Lokrum island was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. By taking a boat from the Dubrovnik’s harbour, after just 15 minutes you can reach this amazing island. Sadly we weren’t able to see all the things the island offered, but we managed to jump off a cliff right into the bluest sea I ever seen. Oh and by the way, if you are a Game of Thrones fan, you should now that here you can find the exactly replica of the Iron Throne. Amazing right?

Even if it’s not exactly in Dubrovnik, the Trsteno Arboretum is something you must see if you’re there. It’s very close to the city, located in the town of Trsteno, which is a district of Dubrovnik. It’s the oldest arboretum in the world. And again, obviously you will have major Game of Thrones vibes there.

Where to eat:
Above 5, to enjoy your breakfast with a superb rooftop view of the Old Town, something I will never forget.
Barba, if you want to have a quick snack or a quick dinner of fresh fish, there are also some delicious fish burgers you can’t miss.
Stara Loza, behind the crowded Stradun, if you explore the alleys you’ll probably notice this restaurant.

Where hang out:

Reveline Culture Club, this unique club is probably one of the most authentic spot I’ve ever seen, located literally inside in Old Town Walls it’s a museum during the day and a club in the night.

Europe Travels

Big dreams start in small places

Cinque Terre meaning ‘Five Lands’ are five little towns of the Italian Riviera, that maintain the charm and character of Italian villages of the past.

Cinque Terre National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site from 1997.

Historically, the villages were walled to protect against attacks from the sea, because this area of the coast was often attacked by pirates.

This constructed fishing villages can bolster the most jaded of spirits.

Sinuous paths traverse seemingly impregnable cliffsides, while a 19th-century railway line cut through a series of coastal tunnels ferries the footsore from village to village.

The tiny harbors features boat ramps, picturesque buildings tripping down the ravine and the town’s swimming hole. Although there is mostly no real beach here, it has some of the best deep-water swimming around and you can climb up the rocks and dive in if you love a little adventuresome swimming.

The Cinque Terre is a destination with timeless appeal, and it’s impossible to do it justice in a day trip. It really is the kind of place that rewards taking it slow, I suggest to spend about 3-7 days to get lost in those pictures towns.

With last minute plans to visit, I had no time to research the best hotels to stay in. So I decided to book an apartment on Airbnb and was totally worth it: waking up every single morning with the dawn which makes the colored houses even more colorful. If you decided to go there during the high season (summer) and you could not find where to stay because it’s fully booked everywhere, don’t panic, you can always search something in La Spezia, that is not so far from there (15 minutes by train).

About the villages

Monterosso al mare, is the most popular town, the first one you can reach from Genova, it has the best beaches of the Cinque Terre.

Vernazza, is my favorite town. Its a natural pier with an amphitheatre shape making it perhaps the most picturesque village (and harbour) of the Cinque Terre. Even if always crowded the village’s trademark caruggi (narrow lanes) are full of life during every part of the day.

Corniglia, is the only one of the five not right next to the water. Instead, it’s pearched high up on the cliffs, and you have to make 365 steps to reach the center of the town. Once you have got there you can enjoy an amazing view from above all the other towns. It’s quieter and smaller than the other villages, far from the crowds of tourists.

Manarola, is surrounded by vines and is situated along a stream. This town is a near-vertical cluster of tall houses piggyback up the hillside. Because it has no harbor, just a landing, its main drag becomes a parking lot of boats that are hauled up each day after the morning fishing’s done.

Riomaggiore, is the most eastern and the nearest village to La Spezia. This village, the biggest one, acts as the Cinque Terre’s unofficial capital and presents typical features reflecting its history and traditions. The town stretches along a vertical axe where steep staircases are the only means to move around the town.

What to eat:

The Cinque Terre aren’t just beautiful, it has some great food, too! Because Liguria, is on the coast, seafood and fish are a big part of the diet here, and many of the region’s famous foods and recipes were first invented, or eaten, on ships or by fishermen.

You must try pesto pasta, a typical dish of the Italian Riviera. It’s D.O.P. protected, meaning it can only be made in a very precise way, with specific ingredients, to be considered the “real thing.” The ingredients themselves are simple: basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, salt, and olive oil, and when it’s done properly, it’s absolutely delicious over pasta!

This part of Italy is also famous for ‘Focaccia’. A flattened bread (like a pizza without tomato sauce), it’s meant to be eaten straight from the oven. And it’s a street food, so don’t feel as if you have to be sitting down at a restaurant to enjoy it. Fritto misto, fried fish served in paper cones fitted to eat on the seaside rocks

And obviously, you are in Italy so don’t miss to eat some ice-cream.

Where to eat:

Nessun Dorma Cinque Terre, to enjoy the most beautiful view of the most romantic village among the five, delicious drinks and yummy appetizers, you can’t go wrong.

Ristorante Belforte, in the Village of Vernazza, built inside a historic fortress overlooking the ocean. The food and the view is heaven.

Da Eraldo, to taste antipasto platter and pesto pasta with some local wine. A tiny little restaurant with authentic, fresh Italian food. Lovely Italian music created a romantic and fun atmosphere.

Gelateria Vernazza o Gelateria il Porticciolo for some ice-cream.

What to see and do:

To explore further south to Portovenere, you will need to take a boat. Portovenere is not a part of the Cinque Terre, and it is impossible to reach to it by train. But it is as beautiful as any borough of the National Park.

For centuries walking trails were the only way to travel between the villages of the Cinque Terre and often provided the only link to the outside world. The walking trails remain the main attraction of the Cinque Terre.

Famous destination for young lovers from around the world, The Way of Love (Via dell’Amore) is part of the complete path, called the Blue trail that links all the five villages. The best time to walk through this footpath is in the early morning or around sunset, not only to avoid overcrowding of visitors, but also to enjoy much better light and weather conditions.

If you take the trail between Vernazza and Manarola, the perfect reward after the most difficult part of your hike is absolutely the view over the village of Vernazza. This view is stunning, you couldn’t forget it and makes your trip to Cinque Terre worth it.

Some trails are not always accessible during winter and autumn, as it rains a lot during this period. You should keep in mind that during July and August the weather usually gets pretty hot, and it is not so easy to walk around in mountains.

Don’t forget to see the towns by boat and watching sunset every evening, especially from the rocks in Riomaggiore where you can see the sun disappearing below the sea.

If Cinque Terre is not on your bucket list, add it now.

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Travels

Neuschwanstein Castle

Eternal Rome

King’s Landing or Dubrovnik?

Big dreams start in small places

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