2023 Edit: The Marienbrucke Bridge is now long reopened. However, if you are looking for a unique and/or uncrowded viewpoint of the castle, read on for the relevant details.
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Since publishing my “Capturing Neuschwanstein” post a couple of months ago, in which I described how we found a great vantage point for photographing Neuschwanstein Castle while the Marienbrücke bridge was closed for renovations, I’ve had a number of people reach out to me to ask exactly how they might reach that particular viewing spot.
Unfortunately, it was rather random that we even stumbled onto this spot to begin with, so I didn’t adequately document and photograph the path we took to get there. We actually quite surprised ourselves once we stepped up to the edge of the ridge and saw the castle before us.
After looking closely at some maps online and retracing our steps that day, I’ve come up with what I believe to be the spot from which we reached the ridge, located just above and to the left of the closed Marienbrücke bridge.
Let me begin by saying that I can in no way vouch for the safety of this particular spot. The lookout point is not on an officially sanctioned trail, and you actually have to crawl through the slats of a wooden fence, and then up through an old decrepit pathway covered in leaves and plants that goes through a forest area. Once you get to the spot, it is very precariously perched at a very high altitude above the rocky Pöllat gorge, with a sheer drop straight down to the bottom. I can’t say how stable this little ridge is, so please take precautions and the utmost care should you decide to attempt going to this location on your own.
Now that we have disclaimers out of the way, let me give you a couple of photographs that help give you a context of where the ridge is located. This first photograph is pulled from Google images, and shows the spot as photographed by someone who was actually on the bridge before it closed.
If you look at Google maps, you can clearly see the Marienbrücke bridge marked, so this should help give you an idea of where we’re talking about.
Next is a view of the bridge taken from up on the ridge itself:
Taking these shots into consideration, and using my memory of the path we took, below is a map that should show you the approximate location of the viewing point and how to get there. Pardon my shitty map drawing skills.
The first part of the path is the main road that begins in the center of Schwangau that leads right to the front door of the castle. If you can’t find it, just follow the thousands of people pouring off the buses with selfie sticks in hand. Once you get off this main road, you’ll take a right down the trail you see marked on the map. At the point marked with a circle, the fence you must crawl through is not difficult, it has very wide openings and you simply have to duck down a little bit and lift your legs up over a wooden beam and you’re in. Once inside the fenced area, to your right will be a heavily wooded area. Walk along this area until you see a barely visible pathway that rises up into the woods there. That path will lead you directly to the spot, after just a couple minutes walk.
Be warned that we were there with no snow on the ground, so accessibility might vary depending on the weather conditions at the time of visit.
*Disclaimer* – I am simply describing the path we took, and am in no way condoning anyone to take this same path. Should you decide to do it, please exercise the utmost caution!
by 
I just wanted to take a moment and sincerely thank you for writing about this. My girlfriend and I just got back from a week and a half long trip to Germany and we made a stop at Neuschwanstein Castle. Little did she know I was planning on proposing to her at the castle. We had been planning this vacation for months and you can imagine how upset I was when I discovered the bridge was going to be closed because I wanted to pop the question with a beautiful view of the castle in the background. After I found this blog I convinced her to trek through the woods with me to get a “great photo” of the castle. The trail was just as you had described it in your post. The only negative was it had been raining for the two days prior to our arrival, so it was kind of muddy and slick. When we finally made it to the top we were the only two people around. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect and romantic setting. This was the highlight of our trip and this wouldn’t have happened without this blog post. Thank you so much!
Wow, thank you so much for sharing this story with me, I am so glad my post was able to play a small part in the success of your epic proposal! Congrats!!
Okay, so I’m in tears. This is so beautiful Justin!! Did you see how helpful this post is? :’)
Super cool story right? I was glad I was able to help with such an amazing proposal
I just wanted to let you know that my fiancé and I just uploaded our blog post about our engagement and our trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. We gave you a shoutout in the post. Below is the link if you want to read it! Thanks again for making our special day that much more special.
http://diaryofadventure.com/2016/06/26/neuschwanstein-castle-fussen/
Thanks so much for the shout-out Justin, and again congrats to you and your fiancé!
Hi Justin
Thank you for your post and notes on where to photograph the castle. We have come from Australia and disappointed that the Marienbrucke bridge was still closed. However I wasn’t coming all this way without capturing a magical photo for myself. Today my hubby found the secret viewing area without too much trouble.
Thanks again, much appreciated.
Hi Katrina,
That is awesome that your husband found it! So glad the blog was able to help with that
Hello, thanks so much for taking the time to post this! Very helpful. I am going to Neuswanstein this weekend and I see on the website it now also says ‘the hike through the pällot gorge is now closed due to rockfall’- do you think this is referring to the path you have described here?
Hi Katie,
No, the Pollat Gorge is far below the viewpoint described here, so this one would be unaffected
Hi Justin,
Thank you so much for posting this! My husband and I were there today and we were so bummed the bridge was closed. Thanks to you we were able to get a great picture of the castle!
We will be in Munich for 5 days starting Sept. 7. I am hoping Mary’s bridge will be open then. What time would the lighting be best for a photo from the bridge or from the ridge you took the shot from? I don’t want the castle to be in the shadows when I take the picture. Thanks for any info you can give me!
Looking at the sunrise/sunset times for that day, looks like you will have the best lighting between 5 and 7 PM. The Marienbrucke bridge faces the western facing side of the castle, so the lighting at that time will be directly on the side of the castle you’d be looking at. Enjoy your visit!
Thank you so much for the info! That is exactly what I needed. One more question, does the bus to the bridge area still run at this time?
Hello Justin,
Just a quick note to say thank you for your blog. I stumbled upon this through a web search and read it over and over again. I’m so grateful for the inside information on how you found a great spot to take pictures of the castle. I’m in Germany on leave (in the Army) and to my surprise, the bridge was closed today. I’m not 100% sure I found the exact trial, but I think I did. I was able to take amazing pictures this morning!! There were three other people on the ridge, not sure if by chance, or from reading your post. I was able to get amazing pictures this morning and smiled all the way back down to my car. I felt like I had this cool secret and knew I had the best pictures. Keep posting. This young at heart explorer admires your adventures and will keep seeing what else you post. Take care and safe travels.
Salute this legend
Justin, thanks so much for your post. I just came back from this viewpoint today, after following your instructions, and damn, what a good view it was! I had the place to myself and got some great photos. Truly the highlight of my trip so far, so thanks again!