NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE
German King's Fantasy Castle in Bavaria
It is the fantasy castle of childhood dreams and possibly Germany's most famous royal palace. Walt Disney was inspired on a vacation trip to Germany by its spires reaching skyward and tenuous perch on the wooded Alpine mountainside to create the centerpiece of his fantasy world of Disneyland, his version of the "Sleeping Beauty Castle" to best represent his entertainment empire. Neuschwanstein Castle (Schloss Neuschwanstein) has nothing to do with that particular story, but rather the fantasy in the mind of a "mad" Bavarian king. About an hour southwest from Munich at the foot of the Alps along the Romantic Road in southern Bavaria, near the town of Fussen and overlooking the village of Schwangau, the Schloss Neuschwanstein castle is a monument to the idealized fairy tale dreams of knights and fair maidens of a lost medieval and chivalric past, constructed during the romantic revival era of the 1800's.
This magnificent architectural dream was built by King Ludwig II, ruler of Bavaria from 1864 until 1886, nicknamed “Mad Ludwig” for his whimsical palaces (see Ludwig's
Schloss Linderhof) and hiseccentricities. His masterpiece palace was a recreation of an idealized vision of an old German knight’s castle intended as a personal retreat for the reclusive king. But this palace built as a royal private home has little in common with true Teutonic knights’ castles (see Castle
Rheinstein Knight in the Rhine) and was not completed until
after the Ludwig's
death.
Find best hotel deals near Schloss Neuschwanstein in Hohenschwangau or Garmish-Partenkirchen
The storybook castle was built on the hillside over-looking his father’s old palace of Hohenschwangau where young Prince Ludwig spent much of his childhood and intended to overshadow it with a panoramic view of the Bavarian, Lechtal and Allgäu Alps. A fan and patron of Richard Wagner, the castle’s “Singers Hall” music room was intended to remind of Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” and “Lohengrin”, the “Swan Knight” who King Ludwig identified himself with as a young child, operatic odes to lofty gods and the romance of knights chivalry. Ludwig told Wagner of his idea for the castle “the location is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world. It will also remind you of "Tannhäuser", but the truth was a little deeper than that. In 1866, Bavaria in an alliance with the Austrian Habsburgs, had just lost a war with the Prussian Hohenzollerns for control of the German Empire. Ludwig lost his right to raise an army, so was no longer a true sovereign ruler. This was when he began to build his idealised kingdom of castles and palaces, where he could feel like a medieval king, but without the power. Hitler as well was enthralled by the same fantasy idylls of Germany’s Teutonic medieval ancestral heritage and held performances of Wagner’s operas here, but of course his dream had a whole new meaning
(see Dachau
Holocuast Museum) and turned out even worse than Mad Ludwig’s.
Neuschwanstein
is located near the Forggensee and the town of Fussen on the Austrian
border, a stop on the Romantic Road in the Allgäu
Alps (see Romantic
Road Touring), and a short distance from Oberammergau
and Garmish-Partenkirchen. Schloss Neuschwanstein can be reached
off the A95 autobahn about an hour drive from Munich or about 30 minutes
from Friedrichshafen (see Zeppelin
Museum Freidrichshafen).
It is also now possible to take a Dinner Train Ride to Hohenschwangau
from Munich, (with a view of Neuschwanstein, but not a visit - see Hohenschwangau
Luxury Dinner Train). The Schwangau region is a storybook
landscape of castles, mountains and
lakes with
a variety
of hiking trails and cycle paths that wind through lush meadows and dark
woods. A beautiful drive with
a rental car through thick wooded groves past gingerbread alpine houses
and lodgings.
Visiting Schloss Neuschwanstein
The Neuschwanstein Castle is a very popular tourist destination and get get quite busy with crowds of bus tours. To get to the entrance of Schloss Neuschanstein requires a bit of hiking, or a shuttles bus ride. There is paid car parking at the bottom of the hill in the village of Hohenschwangau, near the visitor center/ticket office. It’s a 30 minute trek up the hill on foot so plan some time and comfortable shoes. For a few euros extra you can take a horse drawn cart ride to the top. The uphill ride is 5 Euros, downhill only 2.50. Now there's bargain! A shuttle bus operates to near the breathtaking Marienbrücke walking bridge over the Pöllat Gorge, the classic photo opportunity, with a ten minute walk to the castle entrance. It is from this side that the best views of the castle can be had, though most of the spectacular photographs you see of the spired castle are from higher up the mountains.
To get to the entrance of Schloss Neuschanstein requires a bit of hiking. Car parking is at the bottom of the hill in the village of Hohenschwangau. It’s a 30 minute trek up the hill on foot so plan some time. For a few euros extra you can take a horse drawn cart ride to the top. The uphill ride is 5 Euros, downhill only 2.50. Now there's bargain! For a further hike treat take the path beyond the castle to the breathtaking Marienbrücke walking bridge over the Pöllat Gorge. And it is from this side that the best views of the castle can be had, though most of the spectactular photographs you see of the spired castle are from high up the mountains.
The interior of the castle can only be visited with a guided tour on a timed ticket. Ticket prices for Neuschwanstein are €12 for regular admission and €11 reduced for students and seniors. Children under 18 are free. A Combined ticket which includes the Hohenschwangau Castle is available for €23, or Hohenschangau can be visit separately. In addition, the Museum of Bavarian Royalty can be visited with a combined ticket, or separately ( see Museum of Bavarian Kings). The museum tells the story of the Wittelsbach dynasty of Bavarian kings (see Residenz Munich). If you don’t want to drive, there are daily bus tours from close by Munich (see Munich
Sight-Seeing Tours) available for day trips to Neuschwanstein
and Ludwig's other dream palaces nearby, often combined into one tour. © Bargain
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Schloss Neuschwanstein
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SEE
ALSO:
CASTLE
ART MUSEUM BAVARIA
WITTELSBACH
MEDIEVAL CASTLE TRAUSNITZ
INGLOSTADT
BAVARIAN MILTARY MUSEUM
ETTAL
ABBEY BASILICA BAVARIA
SIGMARINGEN
BLACK FOREST CASTLE
