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.

Written by  Ron Lyons Jr..

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