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| Source: Pixabay |
Neuschwanstein Castle is perhaps the poster image of what a romantic castle should look like. Perched
on top of a hill and overlooking stunning views, it’s hard to miss this castle
when you’re visiting Bavaria! Here are some facts about this lavish, fairy tale
castle.
1. King Ludwig
II of Bavaria commissioned the construction of the castle in 1869 to serve as
his retreat house and to pay homage to his great friend, German composer and
conductor Richard Wagner, whose operas Lohengrin
and Tannhäuser left a lasting
impression on the king. Ludwig wanted to build “a worthy temple for the divine
friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world,” he wrote in
an 1868 letter to Wagner.
2. Other stories reveal that King Ludwig built
the castle in order to reaffirm his royal status after losing his sovereign
power to the Prussian Empire just two years into his regime, leaving Bavaria without
any choice but to accept a defensive and offensive alliance.
3. The king
never got to see the castle in its most complete form. King Ludwig expected the
construction to only take three years, but because of the ostentatious designs
and the risky building site (atop a mountain), the building lasted seven times
over than anticipated. The square tower and the tower were not finished until
1892, 23 years from when the construction began and six years after Ludwig II’s
mysterious death in 1886.
4. Known as
the “Fairy Tale King” for his penchant for, yes, fairy tales and building
castles, Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein, which was built “in the authentic style of
the old German knights' castles”, looks exactly like the ones you see in
storybooks.
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| Ludwig II. Image: Wikimedia Commons |
5. Ludwig II
never spent a dime from the Bavarian public funds to build the Neuschwanstein
Castle. Instead, he used his own fortune and resorted to extensive borrowing as
well. Construction cost reached a whopping 6.2 million marks, which was almost
double the expected amount.
6. The
castle’s name, which translates to “New Swan Stone”, was derived from the title
of one of Richard Wagner’s operas, The
Swan Knight. Ludwig II initially called the castle “Neue Burg Hohenschwangau”,
as it is located near his childhood home, the Hohenschwangau Castle. It was later
renamed to Neuschwanstein, but not until after his death in 1892.
7. King
Ludwig was only able to spend 11 nights in the castle.
8.
Currently, the castle receives up to 1.4 visitors each year. During the summer
months, about 6,000 people visit the castle each day.
9. It is
safe to say that Walt Disney was heavily inspired by Neuschwanstein. In the
1950 film Cinderella, the castle
looks almost identical to Ludwig II’s grand creation. The Disney logo shown
before every single Disney film was also based from the real-life castle.
Furthermore, Disneyland Paris’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and Disneyland Florida’s
Cinderella Castle both drew inspiration from the infamous fortress.
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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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| Image: Wikimedia Commons |
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| Neuschwanstein, c1900. Source: Library of Congress |
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| Source: Pixabay |
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| A bedroom at Neuschwanstein. Source: U.S. Library of Congress |
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| Dining room at Neuschwanstein. Source: U.S. Library of Congress |
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| Neuschwanstein's Hall of Singers. Source: U.S. Library of Congress |
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| The study room at Neuschwanstein. Source: U.S. Library of Congress. |
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| Throne Hall at Neuschwanstein. Image: U.S. Library of Congress. |
Indeed, an interesting post. I was looking for a comprehensive article on this enchanting fortress & that’s how I found your post. You see, I am visiting Neuschwanstein Castle with my spouse next month for a week-long vacation. Though we have many places on our travel bucket-list, this castle is at the top. We are looking forward to creating some amazing memories in this beautiful nation.
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