Also known as the Swan King and Mad Ludwig, Ludwig II of Bavaria was born in 1845 at Nymphenburg Palace, his family's summer home near Munich, Germany. He was born to Maximilian II of Bavaria and Princess Marie of Prussia, the acting rulers of Bavaria, which was at that time a sovereign nation. At the age of 19, Ludwig ascended the throne following the death of his father. Later, in 1868, Ludwig began massive building projects, including the castles of Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee, and Neuschwanstein. A fourth castle, Falkenstein, reached the planning stages but was never constructed.
Richard Wagner, who was born in 1813 and died in 1883, was interested in music beginning in his teen years. Originally a German, Wagner was forced to flee to Switzerland as a political criminal because of his involvement in the Dresden revolution movement in 1849. Wagner's operas focused heavily on the protagonist and were themed on the idea of unattainable ideals. Essentially, Wagner's protagonists always fell short in their goals. Ludwig II's building projects were inspired by the works of Richard Wagner. In fact, many rooms in Neuschwanstein are decorated with images of Wagner's characters. Ludwig was fascinated by "Lohengrin" and "Tannhäuser," especially. These two operas had been revised, however. While he loved Wagner's work, Ludwig preferred the more traditional versions, which heavily focused on ancient German mythology.
Neuschwanstein was built in an era when the original functions of a castle, which were almost entirely defensive, had become obsolete. Therefore, during design, Ludwig's engineers focused entirely on aesthetics. Construction efforts on the castle began in 1869 near the town of Fussen. Construction was still not completed by Ludwig's death, which came in 1886. Since then, Neuschwanstein has had the reputation of being one of Europe's most beautiful castles. In fact, Neuschwanstein is so majestic that it inspired Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom, an amusement park.
Neuschwanstein is one of the most visited landmarks in the world, welcoming over 1.3 million people a year. Tourists to the castle and its grounds must purchase entrance tickets, which are available at a ticket center in the small neighboring town of Hohenschwangau. Rooms in the castle can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Certain tours and bathrooms are handicap accessible. On the property, smoking, photography and filming are not permitted.
