Kempten, Germany - A 21-year-old US woman has died after being assaulted and pushed down a slope by a US tourist near the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria, Germany, police said on Thursday.

A 30-year-old US man was arrested on suspicion of murder after the incident on Wednesday afternoon, police from the town of Kempten said in a statement.

The 21-year-old and her 22-year-old female friend were hiking in the area when they met the suspect, the police said.

The man allegedly persuaded them to follow him down a secret trail that led to a good lookout point.

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He then "physically attacked" the 21-year-old woman, police said. When her friend tried to intervene, he allegedly choked her and pushed her down a steep slope.

Police believe "an attempted sexual offense" was then committed against the 21-year-old. She was then also pushed down the slope, falling next to her friend over 160 feet below.

When mountain rescue workers found the two women, the 22-year-old was injured but able to talk.

The 21-year-old was seriously injured and taken by helicopter to hospital, where she died later that night as a result of her injuries.

The man is being investigated on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, and a sexual offense.