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Since I worked for Walt Disney World for over 11 years, Neuschwanstein was always an interest to me. Neuschwanstein had given Walt the idea for the castle at Walt Disney World and I was so eager to visit it in person. I was not disappointed and actually a bit impressed, for it is an imposing site. It also brought me back to my Disney days of employment and I could see why Walt was inspired by Neuschwanstein. -- Gregory F. Knight, Germany

While in Germany last summer for a two-week vacation, we took a tour of Neuschwanstein castle and were totally blown away by the sheer size and beauty of King Ludwig's dream castle. I loved every aspect of the tour, with the exception of the 90-minute wait, but it was well worth it as the view from the Marienbrücke was absolutely amazing. I do think it would help to have some other activities while you're waiting for your tour to start, though. Aside from that, we loved our trip to Füssen and both castles. -- Todd Knott, US

In early October 1994, my family and I spent 12 days in Germany. All of us were excited about seeing Neuschwanstein. We joined a small group for the tour and our guide was a lovely, young woman who spoke excellent English and gave a very detailed explanation of the castle and its history. She patiently answered every question and mesmerized our son who was 15 at the time, while our daughter (then 12) was fascinated with the furnishings, the decor, and depictions of life in the days of King Ludwig II. Our guide left us pondering the mystery of the King's demise after telling us some of the intrigues going on at the time. On the way down, we decided to take the horse-drawn carriage and got more history lessons from the driver and an older German couple riding with us. The driver told us about Hohenschwangau and we could see it perched majestically in the sunlight as we rode past. -- Gary Jacobs, US

Neuschwanstein should be trying to do something along the lines of Warwick Castle in England, though Warwick Castle is a proper castle whilst Neuschwanstein is more of a "stately home." -- Matt Hughes, Germany

I've visited a few castles (including Neuschwanstein) and ruins in Germany over the past 35 years and think that the walk up is part of the experience. Why take away from the authenticity with a modern lift? The nearby theatre is enough modernism. In fact, other than seeing my relatives, I love visiting Germany as a tourist in part for the old architecture and cobblestone streets, something we are definitely lacking in Canada. -- Mike Schmidt, Canada

As I have been to Neuschwanstein and Schwangau, I have to say it is really important to enlarge the tourist interest in these shrines of culture. A museum of the royal family might contribute to a better understanding of all the subjects involved. The King believed in the role of the arts, believed in architecture and in the active role of man in nature, which for him was creating Neuschwanstein. We can learn a lot from it for our own life. -- Anna Safra, Israel

Back in 1984 I had a chance to visit my birthplace in Germany. To my great pleasure I was able to visit Neuschwanstein. Although it was a cold and wet April morning, the sight of Neuschwanstein is something I will never forget. Its majestic surroundings have not been fully captured in film and movies. Only in person can it be fully appreciated. -- Robert Gay, US