Once upon a time there was a young crown prince fascinated by medieval fables and fairy tales that he read in the works of Hans Christian Andersen and decorated his chambers. The future king, a lover of art and theater, had a very distant relationship with his father and lived under strict educational rules, preparing himself as a future monarch. His consolation was dreaming of being part of those fantasy worlds, and becoming like those heroes that appeared on the palace murals.
In this way, even before being king, Ludwig II of Bavaria began to devise an extravagant and magical universe that years later would be reflected in the construction of the Neuschwanstein castle. Today, it is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Germany and is protected by Unesco as a world heritage site. A place that, without a doubt, you have to visit at least once in your life.
Ludwig II of Bavaria was known as the Mad King. In fact, the last years of his life he was removed from the court to live under psychiatric help after spending a large part of the royal funds in the construction of his great dream: Neuschwanstein Castle. However, recent historians have wanted to update this extravagant image of the monarch and value his legacy to the art world.
Be that as it may, the king ascended the throne in 1864 and just four years later he already ordered the construction of the castle, in the place where two old medieval fortresses stood. The complex was built as a tribute to the life and works of Richard Wagner, a Romantic composer for whom the king had great admiration. The reason? The musician had created different pieces inspired by classic fables, something that had caught the attention of this monarch who was passionate about fairy tales.
The objective of Ludwig II of Bavaria was never to build a castle open to the public. The idea was to have a refuge where they could live in their poetic worlds of the Middle Ages, away from the obligations of real life. In this context, his last years are spent in the castle supervising the works of his great desire.
However, his sudden and controversial death by drowning, on June 13, 1886, leaves the works still unfinished. Only 20 of the 200 rooms in the building had been completed. To continue the construction, the bucolic monument opens to the public just a few weeks after the death of the Mad King. Since then, the fame of Neuschwanstein Castle has not stopped growing. Its romantic architecture and its setting, surrounded by alpine mountains and lakes, have made it one of the most famous castles in Europe. So much so, that it receives an average of 1.4 million visitors per year.
The first drafts of the building were expressly commissioned from Christian Jank, a theater scene designer. Thus, the idea of turning the castle into a magical and beautiful place was clear. Of course, despite the king's fascination with fairy tales, the castle was built with great innovations far removed from these dream worlds. In this way, numerous avant-garde techniques were put into operation that would make life much easier for its owner.
The royal quarters had central hot air heating, running water was available on all floors, the toilets had automatic drains, there was an electrical communication system that allowed the king to contact his servants, and there was even a telephone connection. . They may seem like trivial innovations, but they involved a great effort back in the 19th century.
If there is something that particularly attracts the attention of the interior of Neuschwanstein Castle, it is its wall paintings. Love, guilt, penance and salvation are the main motifs that decorate the different rooms of the palace. Themes starring knights, kings, poets and lovers inspired by medieval fables. Of all this iconography, the character of Lohengrin, the knight of the swan, for whom Luis II of Bavaria was fascinated, stands out. For this reason, it is not surprising that in the castle there are different elements that have this animal figure.
Beyond fiction, the swan was considered by Christianity a symbol of purity. In addition, this creature was part of the heraldic shield of the counts of Schwangau, predecessors of Luis II and his father Maximilian II. In fact, the name Neuschwanstein, translated from German, means new stone castle. Curious, right?
Despite the beauty of Neuschwanstein Castle, its history is not rosy. Perhaps one of the darkest episodes occurred during World War II, when the building was used as a storage place for different works of art seized by Adolf Hitler's troops.
It was the so-called Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, a looting Nazi organization, that was responsible for this dark past. Neuschwanstein's location, remote from Berlin and other potential Allied destinations, made it perfect for use as a depot and headquarters. After the end of the Second Great War, thousands of works stolen mainly from Jewish families in France were found here.
In perfect contrast to Neuschwanstein's dark past, Walt Disney has also helped make this monument even more famous. There are many fortresses that could have served as inspiration for the home of Sleeping Beauty, but the similarity between the most iconic castle in cinema and Neuschwanstein is impossible to deny.
It is said that the famous Walter Elias Disney sometimes looked outside the United States for inspiration to create his works. It is unknown if the filmmaker found images of the castle during one of his visits to German and Austrian bookstores or if, as others say, he actually entered the monument with his wife. What is clear is that both Disney and King Ludwig II of Bavaria were great dreamers and creators. It seems even poetic that their stories have come together.
Myths, legends, magic, fantasy and delusions of grandeur come together in equal parts in this Bavarian monument. It is very possible that, after learning a little more about its history, the desire to visit this site will increase to unsuspected limits. Therefore, it may be convenient to review how to go to Neuschwanstein Castle.
Located a few steps from the border between Germany and Austria, the most common way for tourists is to go from Munich. To do this, a simple option would be to directly rent a car, since the journey by road is less than two hours. Thinking of saving costs, the most economical thing would be to travel by train to Füssen and then board a bus that stops near the monument. The intermediate point between the rental and the route by public transport would be to book an excursion. It is the most comfortable option, since it allows you to explore this magical place without having to worry about traffic or any other setback. The choice is yours!
