Anyone who has booked a tour of the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle in recent months has enjoyed unusual luxury: small groups of visitors. Instead of the previous 58 people, the size of the Schwangau fairytale castle was reduced to 35 people by the Bavarian castle administration. The reason for this was a comprehensive renovation of the historic walls.
However, the group size remains low even after the work has been completed: in the future, a tour may not have more than 45 people. In doing so, the Palaces and Lakes Administration wants to “ensure the best possible preservation of the building,” she said.
The Free State is currently investing 20 million euros in the extensive restoration of the state rooms, which is scheduled to be completed next autumn. “The measure includes all showrooms, ancillary rooms and functional rooms accessible to visitors – including the famous singers’ hall and the throne room as well as the former royal apartment in the gate building,” reports a spokeswoman for the authority.
It is unlikely that the number of visitors to the fairytale castle will climb again by 650,000 visitors to its old high of around 1.5 million people per year after the work is completed with smaller group sizes. Also because, according to the castle administration, there are no plans to massively increase the number of tours. The authority does not want to estimate the expected number of visitors for 2024 in more detail.
Mayor Stefan Rinke (CSU) is certain that negative effects are not to be feared for the Schwangau community. Although much of the Hohenschwangau district revolves around the royal castles, “viewed across the entire community, holiday guests come to us because of our unique landscape and not because of the castle.”
The walls are heavily polluted by fumes
The figures from last year have proven this for him. Neuschwanstein remained the most visited castle in the Free State, but only received around 850,000 visitors due to the renovations. The accommodation providers still recorded “an above-average year,” said the community leader. Especially in the area of infrastructure, fewer day vacationers are a relief, says Rinke.
The hotel industry sees it that way too. “There was no drop in the number of overnight stays,” says Richard Müller, who runs the Hotel Müller in the immediate vicinity of the castle of Bavaria’s King Ludwig II. He also considers the restriction on the number of visitors for conservation reasons to be welcome in the long term. Müller points out the high level of pollution on the walls caused by fumes and the weight of so many people.
Müller, whose hotel also includes a souvenir shop and a boutique, cautiously looks at the change from a retail perspective. He doesn’t expect massive slumps here. However, he also considers it unlikely that fewer day visitors to the castle will leave the entire industry in the district without a trace. “It’s like always: every disadvantage has an advantage.”