Schloss Neuschwanstein

See more Castles & Palaces. See best of Tyrol in Austria.

More holidays » Featured Holiday

See classical Vienna in its winter finery, Frolic in the snow in the Austrian Alps, Visit historic ...

15 days, from $1836 (Group tour). Intrepid Travel »

Neuschwanstein is not a thousand year old castle build for defense like most other castles, but the dream castle of a Bavarian King in the 19th century. In 1869, King Ludwig II began to build this castle in the sky. The castle is set high in the Bavarian Alps on the site of the ancient ruins of two castles, Vorder and Hinterhohenschangau. Its snow white walls and tall towers are the very image of a fairytale castle befitting a King. It is built in the style of the late Romanesque castles of the Hohenstaufen dynasty as interpreted by King Ludwig II. The construction of Schloss Neuschwanstein was never completed. A castle keep was to be built in the main courtyard that would have towered above the existing structures in true fairytale style, but the tower was never built. Only 14 rooms inside the castle were completed. The King spent lavishly on Neuschwanstein and was also building two other castles at that time, the Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. The Linderhof was the only one to be completed. Plans for a fourth castle, Falkenstein, were also being designed. The royal family was distressed by the amount of money that Ludwig was spending on his dream castles. So they developed evidence to have the King declared instable and unfit to rule due to mental illness and had him taken away to Berg Castle in June of 1886. The next day the King went on a walk with his doctor. A few hours later both their bodies were found drown in Lake Starnberg. All construction on Ludwig’s castles stopped after his death. It was ruled suicide, although some say he was murdered. It remains a mystery to this day. A few weeks after his death, Neuschwanstein was opened to the public. The completed rooms can be visited via a guided tour and showcase tales of Parsifal and other epic sagas. Today, Schloss Neuschwanstein is Germany’s most photographed building and most visited castle.

5 / 5 Review by expert member Ron Lyons Jr.

‘Excerpt from 'The madness of Bavaria's king of kitsch'’

By Sarah Turner for The Observer First published May 21, 2006 ...When Ludwig wanted a fairytale ... Read more »

Review by press.

‘Excerpt from 'Bavarian Rapsody'’

By Tanya Gold for The Guardian, First published July 23. 2005 ...I take the Dracula Has ... Read more »

Review by press.

‘Fairytale Palace’

Schloss Neuschwanstein Bavaria, Germany Began in 1869, Schloss Neuschwanstein is a Bavarian castle in the romantic medieval architectural style, ... Read more »

5 / 5 Review by expert member Kynan Wieltz