Neuschwanstein Castle can be found in Southern Germany in the Bavarian Alps. This mountain retreat sits above the scenic valley of Hohenschwangau, near the town of Fussen, which has become a popular tourist stop because of its proximity to the castle. Neuschwanstein Castle is also located within several hours of Munich, which makes it accessible to curious day travelers while still retaining its remote feel. Today, the castle has hiking trails around it, and the nearby lake and the area is protected as a nature reserve.
King Ludwig II commissioned work on the castle in the hope that it would be ready for residence within three years. However, the tremendous amount of detail he required would eventually cause labor to continue on it for a total of 23 years. For instance, 14 carpenters labored for four and a half years to complete just the woodwork in King Ludwig's bedroom. Over a decade later, King Ludwig chose to move into the still unfinished residence but lived there fewer than two weeks before his suspicious death. The castle was opened to the public within months of King Ludwig's death, and work on the castle continued for another eight years before it was halted with only one third of the castle completely finished. Today, many of the rooms in Neuschwanstein Castle are still bare, although this does not seem to detract from the overall opulence of this royal residence.
King Ludwig built Neuschwanstein Castle as a homage to both neo-romantic architecture and to the operas of his favorite composer, Richard Wagner. The name Neuschwanstein translates as "New Swan Stone" and refers to The Swan Knight, which is a character in one of Wagner's operas. Tapestries, paintings and frescoes throughout the castle depict scenes from Wagner's other operas as well. Many of the rooms in the castle were built specifically as places where opera could be performed. Richard Wagner died before he could see the palace that his patron built in honor of his work.
Although Neuschwanstein Castle was built to look medieval, it was actually designed to encompass all the modern comforts that could be provided at the time, including hot air ducts, running water and indoor flushing toilets. Although many of the features within the castle have been upgraded over the years, the kitchen has been preserved as it was when it was built. It has features such as automatic spits and even a sliding glass door leading to the kitchen garden and remains a testament to the ingenuity of the time.
Since Neuschwanstein Castle was originally intended as a solitary retreat, it is ironic that it quickly became a tourist attraction shortly after King Ludwig's death and is now host to 1.3 million visitors per year. Disney used the castle as a model for its now iconic Sleeping Beauty's castle, and many tourists flock to see this real-life fairy tale castle. Photographs of Neuschwanstein Castle in its alpine setting are often used to lure tourists to the Bavarian area, making it one of the most recognizable tourist spots in Europe.
