Princess for a day

September 11, 2025

The next morning we packed up our bags and hopped in the car for our next destination – Liechtenstein! If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a small nation nestled between Switzerland and Austria, which was a perfect pit stop on our roadtrip!

We didn’t have long to stop there before moving on to Zürich. We stopped for a quick walk through town and lunch in Vaduz, the capital, where castle views rise above quaint streets lined with cafes and little shops. Though our visit was short, it felt like stepping into a Hallmark movie: clean, peaceful, and surrounded by stunning Alpine scenery. It’s the perfect place to stretch your legs, grab a bite, and check another country off your list!

We hopped back into the car and finished the drive to Zürich. We wanted to drop our luggage at the hotel before heading to the Lindt factory for the tour, yes, that Lindt factory!

We were staying at the Central Plaza Hotel – and I can’t recommend it enough. We were within walking distance to so many restaurants and the sightseeing destinations, plus the service was exceptional. Our room wasn’t ready, but they helped stow our luggage and get us sent on our way in time for our tour.

A coworker of Andy’s had recently returned from Switzerland and had recommended this tour, so we were glad we had gotten tickets. They tend to sell out – for obvious reasons!

From the moment you walk in, it smells like heaven. You also walk in to see the largest free-standing chocolate fountain at 30 feet tall! The tour starts with a fun and interactive look at how chocolate is made and how it became so popular in Switzerland.

Of course, the best part is the tasting. As you explore the exhibits, you can sample different kinds of chocolate – and do a blind tasting to try to guess what kind it is. It is a true test of willpower to stop at just one bite.

At the end, you get to take a bunch of different samples home with you. And just like any amusement park, they pop you out in a gift shop at the end where you can shop for treats to take home. You can shop for classic gold foil truffles to special flavors you will not find anywhere else. The Lindt factory tour is part museum, part candy dream, and all sweetness. We had a blast exploring the factory!

We made our way back to the hotel and this time our room was ready for us! Andy had to run payroll, so I spent some time mapping out how we would capitalize on our time in Zürich since we just had the one night and a few hours the next morning.

Our friend at the front desk had recommended a restaurant that locals (in addition to tourists) frequented, and once Andy was at a good stopping point we made our way there. There was a small line, but because the tables were so large and we were willing to share a table we got seated really quickly.

It sort of made the experience a bit more fun sharing with strangers, unfortunately our table mates didn’t speak much English. Nearby tables were getting to know each other – and sharing fun stories. (You could see the philosophy worked out well in most cases!)

On our walk back to the hotel we stopped by to admire Grossmünster, St. Peter Church, Fraumuenster, and some of the other picturesque sights that the city had to offer. We really loved it there! It felt really clean and safe, and definitely had some of the friendliest people we had encountered on the trip!

Up Next:
– Sightsee around Zürich
– Fly to London
– Meet up with Kim & Craig!

Accommodations:
– Central Plaza Hotel Zürich

September 10, 2025

We made our way to Schwangau, Germany about a 1.5 hour drive (2 hour train ride) outside of Munich to visit Neuschwanstein Castle (Pronounced Noy-Shvaan-Stine Castle). If you haven’t heard of Neuschwanstein Castle, it’s okay – but odds are you might be familiar with its look alike, the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. (Also, the castle in the Disney logo itself!)

We woke up to rain, which was a bit disappointing because we were worried about being able to see the castle from the bridge. But nevertheless, we started our trek over to the castle. We had our car, so we had more flexibility with our start time than if we took the train. Once we arrived, we had made the decision that we were going to pay for the bus to make the trek up to the castle.

You have a few options to make the final descent up to the castle. You can walk, pay a few euros for a bus ride (one-way or round trip), or take a horse carriage. Because of the rain, we decided the bus round trip seemed like the most practical option.

I had also read a lot of blogs ahead of time to not be late because they were strict about their timed entries. Their timing was no joke, there was an older couple that couldn’t figure out the tickets on their phone, the worker was basically counting down for them to figure it out or they wouldn’t be let it; we don’t know, but doubt they got in.

We didn’t want to be late, so we got on one of the first busses and high-tailed it over to the bridge to get one of the best views of the castles. Only to be met with a view of… rain clouds. It was disappointing, but honestly. There’s nothing you can do in situations like that, and thankfully we’ve ridden Soarin’ at Disneyland enough times so we at least know what it looks like!‘

Either take off your glasses or squint really hard 🙂

We made our way back down to the courtyard to wait for our timed entry. We ducked under the overhand to try to avoid the rain. The tour itself is rather short, only about 45 minutes. We had a guide with little devices to listed to him on, so great information! No pictures are allowed inside the castle, which was such a disappointment since quite a few rooms were so beautiful!

Only about 15 rooms were ever finished (turns out dream castles are expensive and Ludwig wasn’t exactly practical), but the ones we got to see felt like stepping straight into a storybook. Each room has its own theme, mostly pulled from operas and old German legends that Ludwig was obsessed with. Basically, the man turned his fan-fiction into interior design.

There’s the Throne Hall, which looks like a church without the pews – full of mosaics, saints, and one very dramatic spot where a throne would have gone… except it never actually got built. Then there’s the Singer’s Hall, a massive space painted with scenes from the knightly adventures of Parzival.

Photo pulled from Wiki so you can see how cool it was since we couldn’t take any photos.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neuschwanstein_throne_room_00180u.jpg

My favorite? The grotto. Yes, an actual man-made cave inside the castle, complete with colored lights and a little waterfall. Ludwig designed it after the Venusberg scene in Tannhäuser, but honestly it felt more like a secret lair. King Ludwig unfortunately passed away before it was completed and officially used.

The rain cleared up enough as we were leaving for the fairy-tale view ❤️

After Neuschwanstein Castle, we made our way down back to town and had lunch. We hopped back into the car before heading to a palace. Because who doesn’t want to feel like royalty on their birthday?

Neuschwanstein Castle is not on Zillow or Redfin, I checked…

If Neuschwanstein is the dramatic fairy tale castle, then Linderhof Palace is King Ludwig’s over-the-top bachelor pad. He was completely obsessed with Versailles and built this as his own mini version, filled with gold, mirrors, chandeliers, and enough sparkle to make you feel like Marie Antoinette’s plus-one. Of Course no photos in the palace either, what the heck Deutschland?!

The palace is the only one of Ludwig’s big projects he actually finished during his lifetime, and it shows. Every inch is dripping with detail. The Hall of Mirrors makes you feel like you’re in an endless selfie booth, the dining room had a table that magically rose up through the floor so Ludwig could dine without servants watching him, and the gardens are so perfectly arranged they would make Versailles proud. The guide said there was over 8 lbs of gold leaf throughout the palace, it was all of the extra you’d expect from a king that never got to really reign over his father’s country.

It is smaller and more intimate than Neuschwanstein, but just as extra. Think of it as Ludwig’s “Versailles starter pack,” created for one very dramatic bachelor with a flair for royal fantasy. He had a much larger grotto here that was recently restored, but we weren’t able to add it on to our ticket last minute. We were pretty bummed about this, but we wrapped up our tour and made our way back to Munich.

We had dinner at NENI in Munich, which is a fusion of Israeli, Spanish, and Romanian. It was delicious. We had a lovely dinner there before turning in for the evening. After a few failed attempts and closed shops, Andy found a bottle Veuve Clicquot for a birthday cheers (again Germany, don’t shut down at 8pm)!

It was a full day of exploring. The next day we would be off again on another roadtrip!

Up Next:
-Roadtrip to Liechtenstein & Switzerland

Tag: Princess for a day

Liechenstein & Switzerland