Start on the main level of the castle. The ground floor footprint here is of an inverted "L." To the right is a gate house, connecting wing and square tower, which surrounds the lower courtyard on two sides. Stairs then lead to the upper courtyard with the knights' building to one side and the ladies' bower on the other. Enter the castle and you'll see that most of the rooms on this level were devoted to servants and service functions. From the vestibule, proceed up to the third floor ante-room, with its vaulted ceiling and walls decorated with scenes of Teutonic legends.
Turn left into the two-story Throne Room, which is decorated in the Byzantine style. Indeed, with its Romanesque archways and lavish use of gold, it looks rather like the interior of an Orthodox church. Go back into the ante-room, pass through that and yet another ante-room into the King's dining room, a dark, paneled room with murals of Wagnerian scenes.
Move to the right or east, into the King's bedroom, which has elaborate Gothic wainscoting, topped by murals of scenes from "Tristan und Isolde." The bed is intricately carved and rather resembles the rood screen of a medieval church. The King's private chapel is on the southeast corner of the room.
Go north into the King's dressing room, the ceiling of which is painted to resemble the sky. Continue north into the living room, which is decorated with images of swans and of Wagner's Knight of the Swan, Lohengrin. Next up is the grotto and winter garden. Ludwig was rather fond of artificial caves--they appealed to his heightened sense of the romantic--and he had several built at his various palaces. The "Tannhäuser"-themed study is off to the west, and beyond that, the last room in the suite is the adjutant's room.
Proceed to the fourth floor, where the ante-room here is decorated rather like the one on the third floor, with images from Germanic legends. Turn east into the huge singer's hall, fitted out in honor of Wagner's "Tannhäuser," where the Wartburg Singer's Hall figures prominently in Act II. The murals, however, depict scenes from Wagner's "Parsifal." In a sense, Ludwig was rather like the pre-teen girl who plasters her walls with posters of her favorite singers and actors, except that Ludwig had a lot more money and much better taste.The upper part of the Throne Room can be viewed from this floor.
Descend to the main floor and conclude the tour in the vast kitchen. If you're hungry, there's a café on the floor above, as well as an orientation display.
