The Neuschwanstein Castle (in Schwangau near Füssen) is a famous castle that was occupied by the reclusive King Ludwig II. Castle Neuschwanstein was built in the 19th century for the King, and it was never meant to be a tourist attraction like it is today. The former king did not want anyone to visit his castle, but the castle was never fully completed until after his death. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of people that visit every year. Stay at one of the amazing Schwangau hotels or Füssen hotels - maybe even in a Wellnesshotel Bayern!

The castle Neuschwanstein was largely inspired by the operas of Richard Wagner. Many of the rooms in the castle represent characters from Richard Wagner's work. His different writings represent the visual look of the castle, as the castle was designed to have a "fairy-tale" design. No one other than King Ludwig II lived in the castle, but it could house a very large family!

King Ludwig II had a strong interest in the design of the castle. He not only influenced the overall design of everything, but he also paid attention to very specific details. There are still many rooms in the castle that were never decorated, as the king perished before everything was completed. The plan was for the finished castle to include over 200 rooms. Sadly, only 15 of the rooms were ever completed. The king wanted constant changes to the original plan, and the new plans kept increasing the costs of the project. Construction of the castle Neuschwanstein began in 1869, but the king was not able to move into his new home until 1884. He died in 1886. Historical records show that the king only lived in the castle for a total of 172 days. The construction on the castle continued until 1892.

King Ludwig was deeply in debt after he died. Many financial issues were plaguing the project. Even though the king made the castle his personal private home, it because a tourist attraction soon after his death. It was opened to the public just six weeks after the king passed away. By opening up the castle Neuschwanstein for public viewing, this allowed the estate of the king to pay off the remaining construction debts incurred from the castle. Even though the project cost a lot of money to build, the project did not bankrupt the Bavarian government. There are millions of people that come to visit the castle every year.

Many of the famous structures of Germany were destroyed during World War II. Most of the country was in ruins, but the castle Neuschwanstein remained intact throughout the war. It benefited from sitting in a rural area of Germany, so most of the fighting occurred in other geographic regions. The castle was intentionally built on the top of a mountain as part of the "fairy-tale" design that was intended for this castle. Many tourists marvel at the beautiful grounds around the caste. It has been featured in several movies, and it was a major inspiration for the castle in Disneyland. From there the famous black forest (known for their cuckoo clocks) is only a 3 hour drive. If you want to visit the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, your trip should definitely include a trip to the Neuschwanstein castle.

Neuschwanstein News

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