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Aug 28, 2022 · Schloss Hohenschwangau is the childhood home of King Ludwig II. The castle was built in the 19th century by King Maximilian II, Ludwig’s father. The castle was the official summer residence and hunting palace of the Bavarian Royal family, but young Ludwig and his brother Otto spend most of their childhoods here.
Ludwig II, Christian Jank. Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, pronounced [ˈʃlɔs nɔʏˈʃvaːnʃtaɪn]; Southern Bavarian: Schloss Neischwanstoa) is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill of the foothills of the Alps in the very south of Germany. It is located in the Swabia region of Bavaria, in the ...
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- Related: Top 10 Castles of Europe
The “fairy-tale” king built a dazzling site with a curious history.
High in the Alpine foothills of Germany sits one of the most iconic castles in Europe. The “fairy-tale” king, Ludwig II of Bavaria, built this dazzling Neuschwanstein palace to withdraw from public life after losing his power in the Austro-Prussian war. It’s believed that he built his new castle as the centerpiece for an imagined kingdom—one in which he was the true king.
It became a real-life fantasy world modeled after medieval legends: the pictures on the wall express love, guilt, repentance, and salvation, particularly in the depiction of lovers, poets, knights, and kings.
Construction began in 1869 on top of castle ruins and workers labored day and night for more than a decade to complete enough of the home for Ludwig II to move in. Theatrical designers and artisans worked alongside architects to create the palatial home with state-of-the-art technology. Despite its enormous size and original plan to have 200 rooms, it was built for only one person to live in.
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King Ludwig II dedicated the castle to Richard Wagner, the famous composer who was a close friend and confidant for many years.
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Long before it helped to inspire Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, Neuschwanstein was a refuge for Germany ’s King Ludwig II of Bavaria who spent much of his kingdom’s fortune building castles. Neuschwanstein is the most popular, welcoming more than 1 million visitors per year. Only 14 of the castle’s planned 200 rooms were finished, and they’re impressive with opulent gold leaf, ornate woodcarving, and vibrant murals that reveal a mad king’s obsession with the myths and legends of composer Richard Wagner's operas.
Long before it helped to inspire Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, Neuschwanstein was a refuge for Germany’s King Ludwig II of Bavaria who spent much of his kingdom’s fortune building castles. Neuschwanstein is the most popular, welcoming more than 1 million visitors per year. Only 14 of the castle’s planned 200 rooms were finished, and they’re impressive with opulent gold leaf, ornate woodcarving, and vibrant murals that reveal a mad king’s obsession with the myths and legends of composer Richard Wagner's operas.
Two board games, Castles of Mad King Ludwig [68] (2014) and The Palace of Mad King Ludwig [69] (2017), are named for Ludwig II and inspired by his penchant for elaborate and whimsical castles; Neuschwanstein Castle is pictured on the box of Castles. The 2022 collector's edition of the game features a Towers expansion that incorporates new tiles and miniatures based on eight of the king's castles.
Modeled as a medieval knight's castle, inspiration for Neuschwanstein came during Ludwig II's travels in 1867 to Wartburg Castle near Eisenach, Germany and to Chateau de Pierrefonds in France.
Ludwig grew up detached and a loner, left to live in his own imagination. As a little prince, Ludwig spent much of his life staying at Hohenschwangau Castle – a modern, mock-castle, built by his father King Maximilian. It meant that, quite literally, he was a real little prince growing up in a real little castle.
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Neuschwanstein Castle. Neuschwanstein Castle is a powerful symbol the world over thanks to its idealised romantic architecture combined with the tragic love story of its owner, King Ludwig II of Bavaria. When work began to build Neuschwanstein Castle in 1869, Ludwig II brought together elements from Wartburg Castle and from the fictional Castle ...
