Neuschwanstein — a fairy-tale castle and tourist attraction

Set amidst a breathtaking setting, Neuschwanstein Castle is one of Germany's most romantic and famous attractions. Built from 1869 to 1886 under King Ludwig II, the palace also known as "The Sleeping Beauty Castle" is located near the village of Hohenschwangau and the town of Füssen, by the Austrian border in Bavaria.

In 1864, King Ludwig II acceded to the throne of Bavaria at the age of 18, completely inexperienced. His country was defeated by Prussia two years later. To escape the pressures of reality, the shy and mysterious king built different sumptuous retreats, such as Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. He built Neuschwanstein on the remains of two small medieval castles he had known as a child.

Neuschwanstein overlooks another castle, Hohenschwangau (picture). This was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II, which might have inspired his fascination with medieval folklore and architecture. If legends fed the design of Neuschwanstein, the famous palace would also later serve as the main model for the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disney's icon, which opened in Disneyland in 1955.

As a great fan of the composer Richard Wagner, King Ludwig II's vision for his fairy-tale castle was to create a grand stage for the Germanic mythology that was celebrated in Wagner's operas. Christian Jank, who had worked on the scenery of the composer's opera "Lohengrin," was hired to draw concepts for the palace. The architect Eduard Riedel realized Jank's "ideal design" from 1869 (picture).

Just like Wagner depicted medieval legends in his operas, each room in Neuschwanstein Castle recreates imagery from ancient paintings of these myths. The largest room of the palace, the Singer's Hall (photo), is decorated with imagery from "Lohengrin" and "Parzival." Although the hall has a stage, the reclusive king did not design it for parties - no concerts were held there during his lifetime.

The bedroom portrays the great medieval tale of romance, "Tristan and Isolde." It is said that 14 carpenters spent four years working on the woodwork in this room. The king did not get to spend as many years in his palace: on June 12, 1886, he was declared insane and arrested in this bedroom. A day later, he was found dead with his psychiatrist near a lake. The cause of death remains a mystery.

Another phenomenal part of Neuschwanstein Castle is an artificial cave, complete with stalactites and a waterfall. Illuminated with different colors, this grotto inspired by a scene in Wagner's opera "Tannhäuser" fascinatingly reflects Ludwig's eccentric tastes. The retreat of the reclusive king opened to the public just weeks after his death, becoming one of the world's most visited castles.

The impressive Throne Hall boasts a Byzantine dome inspired by the All Saints Church in Munich and pillars modeled on the ones in the Hagia Sophia in present-day Istanbul. The mosaic floor counts over two million stones. It was completed after Ludwig's death in 1886. However, the altar platform never obtained a throne. Of the over 200 planned rooms of the castle, only 14 were finished.

Many people wrongly believe that Neuschwanstein is a typical medieval castle. It is actually a free and modern reinterpretation of castles illustrated in medieval books, inspired by the Wartburg Castle as well. This style was later categorized as Historicism. Now considered a prime example of this type of architecture, at the time, critics derided the historically inaccurate project.