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Neuschwanstein Castle Germany
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DREAMY: Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany is one of Europe's most recognised buildings. Pic © Stuart Anderson / Destination Munich |
When Walt Disney sought inspiration for his Sleeping Beauty Castle he looked no further than here.
It just missed out on a placing in a 2007 New Seven Wonders of the World competition. But that doesn’t matter, Neuschwanstein’s caretakers are happy to call it the eighth.
But what’s all the fuss about? Let’s pass through the gates and into the castle and discover the reality behind the hype.
“It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau near the Pollat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles... the location is the most beautiful one could find, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world.” - Ludwig II |
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| TIMELESS: A 1900 "Photocrom" photo of Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. The image was taken barely 10 years after construction finished. The castle looks exactly the same today. Pic: CC Wikimedia |
Neuschwanstein Castle Germany
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King of Bavaria, Ludwig II |
To understand Neuschwanstein you need a glimpse into the castle’s creator, the eccentric, often-called “crazy” King Ludwig II (1845 – 1886).
Ludwig was a reclusive dreamer who escaped into a fantasy world of romantic German mythology and the works of composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883), whose works he sponsored and basically worshipped.
Although Ludwig’s Bavarian subjects adored him (they nicknamed him “unser Kini” – our darling King) he was a bit of a flapdoodle with the finances.
He embarked on a costly construction program which included Linderhof Palace, royal apartments in Munich’s Residenz and Herrenchiemsee Palace, which was started after Neuschwanstein.
No-one had a built a castle like Neuschwanstein in Europe for centuries but that didn’t deter Ludwig. It was to be a glorious stage for the operas of his “divine friend” Wagner.
Ludwig wanted to share the castle with the composer and there’s some speculation that the King’s love, though never requited, went beyond the merely plutonic. Neuschwanstein was started in 1869 and construction continued until Ludwig’s murky death in 1886.
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REVIVAL: The limestone walls of Neuschwanstein Castle are undergoing an extensive renovation program. Pic © Stuart Anderson / Destination Munich |
Neuschwanstein Castle Germany
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OTHERWORLDLY: A stunning HDR capture of the castle. Neuschwanstein Castle Germany pic:JacobEnos |
Ludwig spent only 170 days at the castle before he was arrested and declared insane by a doctor who hadn’t even examined him.
The king washed up a few days later on the shores of Lake Starnberg near Munich.
Although it was declared an accidental drowning, it’s now pretty clear that Ludwig was assassinated by conspirators in the government who feared he was sending the kingdom’s coffers to the cleaners.
Most visitors to Neuschwanstein first head for the postcard views from the Marienbrücke (St Mary’s Bridge) above a nearby gorge.
Beyond the castle is the Forgensee (Lake Forgen), an artificial lake which wasn’t there in Ludwig’s time.
Down to the left sits Hohenschwangau Castle, where Ludwig grew up.
He had a miserable childhood with a disciplinarian dad, so Neuschwanstein’s location was picked party so he could literally rise above all those bad memories.
Neuschwanstein Castle Germany
Bluffs and guises
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COLOURFUL: Neuschwanstein Castle in Autumn. Neuschwanstein Castle Germany pic: CC muddyclay |
You can only inspect the interior as part of a guided tour and there’s often so many visitors it’s easy to feel like a cow being hurrily herded through.
But there’s still enough time to soak up the majesty.
Most of the 14 rooms finished before the king’s death are replete with murals from German mythology Wagner had moulded into operatic sagas.
Among them are knights Lohengrin and Parzifal, the poet Tannhäuser and the tragic lovers Tristan and Isolde.
Swans are another leitmotif, the Salon alone is decorated with hundreds of them. Ludwig was sometimes known as the “Swan King”, the waterbird being another feature in Wagner’s sagas of the grail knights.
Neuschwanstein was given its name, literally “New Swan Stone”, after the king’s death.
As well as the mythical, Ludwig loved the high-tech fitted out the castle with the then latest gadgets – hot and cold running water, flushing toilets and even telephones.
Neuschwanstein Castle Germany
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INSIDE THE WALLS: A pic looking down into the courtyard from inside Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Neuschwanstein Castle Germany pic:© Stuart Anderson / Destination Munich |
▪ The Thronsaal (Throne Room) built in Byzantine style with one notable absence – the throne itself. The stool was still on order when Ludwig II died.
My favourite mural here is one of St George slaying the dragon.
▪ Ludwig’s Bedroom is done in rich, dark wood and the bed itself looks like a neo-gothic chapel.
The oratory alcove to the side provided a private place to pray.
▪ The Grotto which looks like an artificial cave and once sported coloured lights and a mini-waterfall.
▪ The showpiece Sängersaal (Minstrels’ Hall) was where Wagner was to compose and conduct more operas.
Though Ludwig II never got to see a
performance here there are now concerts
every September (see details below).
Neuschwanstein Castle Germany
Closing thoughts
As you leave Neuschwanstein you might find yourself thinking about the tragic tale of its maker and how he met his own.
You might be pondering the sagas of the sagas of German knights, poets and lovers in which the King took refuge.
You might even be thinking about what you’d throw up if you had the cash to live out your wildest architectural fantasies like Ludwig.
Whatever’s going through your mind, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to remember Neuschwanstein for the rest of your life.
Neuschwanstein Castle Germany
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TOUR: On my second tour of Neuschwanstein Castle I got to skip the queue. Read on below to find out how.Neuschwanstein Castle Germany pic: © Stuart Anderson / Destination Munich |
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| The Details of Neuschwanstein Castle Germany | ||||
| Location | Neuschwanstein Castle sits at the foot of the Bavarian Alps above the village of Hohenschwangau, south-west of Munich. It’s about 4kms (2.5mi) away from the larger town of Füssen, which means in German, appropriately, “Feet”. |
 A mini-map showing the location (blue dot) of Neuschwanstein Caslte. |
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| Directions | Getting to the bottom of the hill…. |
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| By pubic transport It’s a good idea to leave early from Munich to beat the crowds – the train journey takes about 2.5 hours. There are some direct to Füssen, but you may have to change in Buchloe. You can check train connections on the Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) English website here, just type in Munich Hbf into the top line and Neuschwanstein into the bottom line. Remember if you’re leaving after 9am on a weekday and any time on a weekend you can get the dosh-saving Bayern Ticket for €20 single or €28 for groups of up to five. From Füssen train station, take bus No. 73, 78 or 9651 up to the bottom of the hill where the castles are. There’s the Visitor Centre where you can take care of your tickets. By car from Munich The quickest way is to take the A95 south from Munich towards Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then turn right onto the B2 towards Starnberg. Follow it all the way down to the village of Peiting where you make a right onto the B17, which takes you to Schwangau. The drive should take just under two hours. Parking costs €4.50 for the day.
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| ….and up to the castle | ||||
If you want to get a little romantic horse-drawn carriages will take you up there for €6 and back down again for €3. There’s also a dedicated bus which takes you up the Marienbrücke lookout, from there it’s a 10min walk downhill to the castle (Cost €1.80 up, €1 down). The bus doesn’t run if there’s too much ice or snow. |
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| Tickets | With over 1.3 million visitors each year it’s no surprise that getting into Neuschwanstein can be a pain. Luckily, there are a few ways to avoid a long wait (read on). Tour guides can lead you through in English and German and there are audio-guides available for other languages. Photography isn’t allowed inside. Normal procedure is to buy your ticket from the visitors’ centre, regular tickets cost €9 and €8 concession, under 18-year-olds get in free. The “King’s Ticket” lets you visit both the castles Neuschwanstein and the nearby Hohenschwangau on the same day, it costs €17 regular, €15 concession. Combination “Königsschlösser” tickets cost €18 and are valid for the castles above as well as Ludwig’s other creations, Linderhof Palace and Herrenchiemsee. |
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| Queue jumping | You can jump the queue at the visitors’ centre by booking your ticket ahead on the Net here , but you can only book on the day of your visit and there’s a €1.80 surcharge. Still totally worthwhile if you’re visiting from May to September. What I did on my last visit was to bugger the visitors’ centre all together and head straight up to the castle. Go into the forecourt and just to the right there’s an office where you can buy a 14-day ticket (€20 single, €36 family/partner). This ticket give you entry into 40 palaces, castles and other sights across Bavaria, including the Munich Residenz, palaces Linderhof, Nymphenburg and Herrenchiemsee and the Bavaria Statue in Munich. And the best part is they’ll let you join the very next tour of Neuschwanstein. Royal treatment indeed. The ticket doesn’t cover Hohenschwangau Castle, however. |
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| Open | The castle is open from 9am to 6pm April to September and 10am to 4pm October to March. It’s closed on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. |
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| Phone | +49 (0) 83 62 - 9 30 83 - 0 | |||
| Website | www.neuschwanstein.de | |||
| Concerts in the Sängersaal will run from September 18 to 26 in 2010.
To enquire about contact organisers through their inquiry form on this page (in English), or call +49 (0) 8362.81980.
The German site here has a video of performances, narrated in German. |
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