Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the romantic palaces of Germany’s Bavaria . It is definitely the place that anyone has seen in photos . A 19th-century Romanesque Revival castle lies on a rugged hill and it overlooks the charming Hohenschwangau valley and is located only a a stone’s throw away from the popular tourist destination , Fussen. The palace served as the retreat home of Ludwig II. The shy king had built the castle in order to retire from public life. The palace , which was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, was became available to the public immediately after he died in 1886.
In the Middle Ages, three castles looked over Hohenschwangau. One was called Schwanstein Castle which was acquired by Ludwig’s father King Maximilian II of Bavaria who acquired its ruins to do them up and he turned them into a comfortablepalace known as Hohenschwangau Castle. The palace became the family’s summer home .
The remains above the family palace were known to the crown prince from his trips . He sketched one of them in his diary . At the time the young prince started to rule in 1864, the building of a new castle became the first in his series of castle building projects. The young Ludwig was affected by the romantic mountain scenery and the summer castle became one of his favourite spots to stay .
The foundation stone to Neuschwanstein was laid in 1869 with the building plan . The latest building techniques and materials were used in the building of the castle . The improvement was very slow going. The palace was equipped with all kinds of technical conveniences which were very modern, if not to say revolutionary at that time . Running water on all floors . There were toilets with automatic flushing on every level . A warm air heating system for the whole building and a hot water system for the kitchen and the bath.
Ludwig named the new castle New Hohenschwangau Castle which got its new name Neuschwanstein only after he died . The confusing result is that Hohenschwangau and Schwanstein have effectively swapped names: Hohenschwangau Castle took the place of the ruins of Schwanstein Castle, and Neuschwanstein Castle took the place of the ruins of the two Hohenschwangau Castles.
The king had already become something of a legend. He once mentioned that he wanted to remain an eternal mystery to himself and others . He became a mysterious element that still fascinates people today. Ludwig II was possessed by the idea of a holy kingdom by the Grace of God. In real life he was a constitutional ruler . This is the reason why he constructed a fantasy world around him far away from reality he was able to feel he was a real king. From 1875 on he lived at night and slept by day. Ludwig II more and more identified himself with Parzival, the fabled medieval figure who got the Grail King through his purity. Neuschwanstein was reinterpreted as the Castle of the Holy Grail and the Throne Room was redesigned as the Hall of the Holy Grail.
One of largest ironies of this castle is that a structure built to be a private refuge, sacred and out of reach and is now host to thousands of tourists each day. Another irony: although it was constructed largely as a stage for Wagnerian productions, Richard Wagner, the composer never appeared in Neuschwanstein. Nor was the castle’s throne room ever completed in time to hold a throne.
To be able to take a look at the palace make sure you reserve in Germany accommodation well before your arrival.