Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE , via Wikimedia Commons
Schwangau is a village in Bavaria, southern Germany. It’s a gateway to the grand Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th-century hilltop palace built for King Ludwig II. Nearby, Hohenschwangau Castle features ornately furnished state rooms. A cable car runs up Tegelberg, a mountain offering ski slopes and views over the surrounding countryside. To the north, Forggensee is a huge lake popular for sailing, fishing and swimming.