Nucha's Small World Articles: Neuschwanstein

(First published in Small World Ezine on 2 July 2002)

Today I am writing about my dream place. This castle was the main reason I moved to Germany in 1996... To explore its castles, Travel the Romantic Road, and Visit Neuschwanstein.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886) was born in the wrong time. When he became the King of Bavaria after his father's death, his position was more likely just symbolic (at the time Bavaria or Bayern was a sovereign kingdom). Thus, his dream of being Louise XIV of Bavaria was just an impossible dream.

Inspite of his aspiration of being "Ludwig the Great", he was a shy King. Because he was raised in a sheltered environment, young Ludwig spent much of his youth in a castle named Hohenschwangau ("high region of the swan") and an ancient castle known as Schwanstein. Ludwig grew up there among swan images and icons, and the nearby Schwansee (Swan Lake) featured the real thing. As a King, he withdrew himself from Munich (the capital of Bayern), and spent more time in his beloved mountains in the Bavarian Alps -- that's when he first met Richard Wagner.

They said the relationships of these two were closer than friends. Whatever it was, it was unarguable that Ludwig adored Wagner as his music idol. It was known that Ludwig drew much of his inspiration for his castles from Wagnerian opera (particularly Lohengrin and Tannhäuser) -- although he had insisted on the original Germanic mythology rather than Wagner's operatic revisions.

In 1868 Ludwig began his own building campaign. Much of the Bavarian king's fame is associated with his castles: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee. (A fourth castle, Falkenstein, was planned but never built.) Among the three, Neuschwanstein, though unfinished, was the most famous. The castle's unique location combined with Ludwig's "fantasy in stone" creates a special magic. But like any work of art, the more one knows about Neuschwanstein, the more one can appreciate it.

When Ludwig started the project, he called this castle "Neue Burg Hohenschwangau" ("New Castle Hohenschwangau"). Only later, when the castle was opened to the public on August 1, 1886, just weeks after Ludwig's death, did the edifice come to be known as "Neuschwanstein" ("new swan stone").

To execute his dream project, the king commissioned a stage designer, Christian Jank, as architect. Thus, the castle was as beautiful as it could be, but part of it was impossible
to construct. That's why the project is unfinished until today. Yet, Neuschwanstein's central heating system and kitchen (barely been used) were said to be ahead of technology of the time. There is no single fireplace in the castle!

King Ludwig II of Bavaria passed away in a tragic and mysterious enigma. Just three days after he was announced "legally-insane", Ludwig was found drowned in Lake Starnberg (der Starnberger See) south of Munich. Ludwig was a fine swimmer and the water was kind of steep. The questions were -- was it an accident, was it a suicide, or was it a murder?

Today, Neuschwanstein and the story behind it are the most magnetic attraction for Bavaria's visitors. If you have a chance to go there, do not miss it.

More:

I think Walt Disney used Neuschwanstein as the model when he designed the Sleeping Beauty's castle for DisneyLand, did he?

Anyway, here's how to get there...

Easiest way is from Munich (Muenchen). You can drive or take a public bus or tourist guided bus. If you drive... drive south 160 km. or 100 miles towards Fuessen. Look for a small
town named Schwangau. At Shwangau, which is the small town at the base of the castle, you can take a horse drawn carriage up to the castle. Be warned however, that in the off-season (September to May), the driver will wait until the carriage is completely filled before ascending the hill (this can take some time). It took me 15 minutes walking up the hill. With the scenery and the fresh air up there (not too thin), I did not feel tired at all. If your health provides, walk.

Hohenschwangau castle is just at the foot of the hill. You can visit it too. For both castle, visitors are not allowed to wander inside. You'll have to buy the guided tour (available in several languages). The fee is DEM 10-15 each. The tour takes 15-20 minutes, but the waiting will take you almost forever. Arrive early. It opens at 8.30am (April to September) or 10am (October to March). Closing time around 5.

Don't forget to bring your student ID (if you are a student). Students in Europe can get special rates in every place they visit.

If you have time for the day, visit Linderhof too (Drive to Oberammergau. It's as wonderful. I went there during Christmas. Cold but Beautiful!

To stay the night, get back to Munich is the best, but if you are planning to go further to the south (Austria), Fuessen has nice guesthouses you can stay. There is a Youth Hostel too.