Enjoy Germany’s beautiful south

Munich may be known for its beer halls, but it has much more to offer, writes David Linnane.    

Standing on the balcony of the Neuschwannstein Castle, just outside Munich, watching another castle on a nearby hill disappear in a sudden storm of rain, wind, and fog, is easily the most stunning thing I have ever seen, and a holiday memory I’ll keep forever.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the castle is like something out of a fairytale. That’s because it is. Ludwig II based it upon the stories and mythology that fascinated him, particularly the work of Richard Wagner, the Munich-based composer, and the castle itself went on to inspire Walt Disney’s classic Sleeping Beauty.