Neuschwanstein Castle is one of Germany’s most well-documented historic buildings. Due to its magical and fairytale-like structure, it is visited by many people in the world. Many people marvel at the place’s beauty and lavishness. Some people are even more inclined with the place’s history and the reasons it came about! Truly, a place worth visiting and being curious about!
The place story revolves around the one who wanted to build the castle. In the 19th century, in a land far, far away, a king by the name of “Mad” King Ludwig II built a castle in the style of a medieval château known as Neuschwanstein. However, he did it for no defensive or strategic reason other than his own delight. However, even now, it serves as a genuine sanctuary straight out of a fairy tale.
The New Swan Stone Castle, or Neuschwanstein Castle, is in the German state of Bavaria. Originally dubbed New Hohenschwangau Castle, it was built to look just like Ludwig II’s childhood home, Hohenschwangau Castle. The ancient Schloss Hohenschwangau has fallen into the impressive shadow of Neuschwanstein.
It wasn’t given its current name until after Ludwig II had died, and it’s widely believed that this is an allusion to Wagner’s Swan Night.
Building of Neuschwanstein Castle
Although work on Neuschwanstein began in the summer of 1868, the first foundation stone wasn’t set in place until September 5, 1869. Even though Ludwig II was able to move into the castle in stages beginning in 1873, he did not live to see his complete design implemented. Many years after Ludwig II’s death and the castle’s public opening, in 1892, when construction on the Bower and Square Towers was finally finished, the castle was finally ready to welcome visitors.
The original blueprint for the castle called for more than two hundred rooms. However, only a few more than a dozen were completed when the project’s funding was stopped. The entire square footage is approximately 65,000 square feet, according to estimates.
Neuschwanstein has been dubbed “the castle of the fairy-tale king” due to Ludwig II’s reputation as an eccentric and reclusive monarch. It had a Singer’s Hall and a large castle courtyard, and the guest rooms had a beautiful view of the majestic Säuling, the mountains of Tyrol, and far beyond the plain.
Although the precise motivations for Ludwig II’s construction of Neuschwanstein are unknown, it is widely held that the palace served both governmental and intensely personal ends for the emperor. With Prussia’s victory in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Bavaria was compelled to form an alliance with the Prussian Empire. Ludwig II of Bavaria was deposed as king. It is believed that Ludwig II used Neuschwanstein as the focus of his made-up realm, in which he could act with the authority of a true monarch.
The inspiration behind Neuschwanstein Castle
King Ludwig II of Bavaria, affectionately referred to as the “Fairytale King,” commissioned the construction of the castle. King Ludwig was a huge fan of the great composer Richard Wagner. The castle of Neuschwanstein was erected in his honor, and its interior features many chambers named after characters from Wagner’s works. You can see how much Ludwig admired Wagner’s works.
Characters from Wagner’s operas can also be found throughout the entirety of the Singers Hall on Neuschwanstein’s fourth floor. With a name like “Neuschwanstein,” it’s no surprise that one of Wagner’s characters, “the Swan Knight,” inspired the name.
Though from the outside it may look like a typical medieval fortress, Neuschwanstein was outfitted with cutting-edge technology for its time. Every floor of the castle had its own air heating system and automatic flushing toilets. A spring located only 200 meters above the ground level provided the castle with water. The setting of Neuschwanstein Castle is similarly fantastic. You may find it perched high on a hill in the beautiful Bavarian Alps. Overlooking the Hohenschwangau valley is Neuschwanstein.
When you step inside Neuschwanstein, you’ll see that it’s just as stunning as the outside. Ludwig II only had time to build 14 rooms before his untimely death in 1886, but those that were completed were magnificent. The throne room was two stories high and decorated with Byzantine murals of angels. Ludwig died before the Throne Room was constructed, therefore ironically there is no throne there.
The Influence
Neuschwanstein Castle’s enchanting appearance did not only entice many people around the world including Walt Disney! It motivated them to build his own fantasy theme park. In fact, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle was influenced by Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein, as was Cinderella’s Castle. Now, Neuschwanstein is not just Germany’s most popular castle, but also one of the world’s most visited. A total of 1,300,000 visitors passed through its doors annually.
Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle
The only method to see Neuschwanstein’s interior is through a tour group organized by the Bavarian Palace Department. Several tour companies provide day tours to the castle from Munich and other nearby locations. Visitors looking to join a tour group should inquire about visits to local attractions including Linderhof Castle and Hohenschwangau.
For those who prefer to travel independently rather than with a tour group, getting to Neuschwanstein from Munich is easy. This is thanks to the extensive network of trains and buses that serves the area. The drive from Munich to Neuschwanstein takes about two hours via the A7. This is the main highway to Füssen or Kempten. The only place to park near Neuschwanstein is in the nearby village of Hohenschwangau. Trains from Munich will only get you as far as Füssen. From there, you’ll need to take a local bus to get to Neuschwanstein Castle.
It is possible to take a train or an interstate bus from Garmisch to Innsbruck or from Innsbruck to Neuschwanstein. Travelers can get to Neuschwanstein from Hohenschwangau via foot, shuttle bus, or horse-drawn carriage.
In addition to taking 30–40 minutes, visitors should be aware that the walk up to Neuschwanstein is fairly steep. You may make your trip to Neuschwanstein even more like a fairy tale by taking a horse-drawn carriage.
After opening at 9:00 a.m., visitors can explore Neuschwanstein Castle. till the evening hours of 6:00 p.m. between the months of April and October 15th. Time: 10:00 a.m. from October 16th to March. through the end of the day at 4 o’clock.
All days of the week are available to visit the castle with the exception of December 24–25 and 31–January 1.