Ludwig II, a lover of the arts and influenced by Wagner's operas throughout his life, envisioned the place where Snow White was said to have lived. He invited theater painters and stage setters, not architects, to draw architectural sketches and began construction of Neuschwanstein Castle, inspired by Wagner's creation of the musical The Swann's Knight.
Ludwig II conceived the blueprint for the castle in his mind as one with the natural landscape. With its dreamy atmosphere, countless drawings of swans, and the sunken lake that surrounds the castle, Neuschwanstein is indeed like a heaven on earth.
Tip: At the foot of Neuschwanstein there is a yellow castle which was built by Ludwig II's father, the Old Swan Castle.
Transportation: Take bus 310 from Fuessen train station to the foot of Swansea Castle, after which you can walk or take a hiking bus*** to Neuschwanstein Castle (fixed route)
Admission: 9 euros (including automated guided tour)
Opening hours: April 1 to Sept. 30
Monday -Sunday: 9:00 to 18:00
Thursday: 9:00 to 20:00
Neuschwanstein Castle was the dream world of Louis II of Germany, a world of exclusive beauty. He lived a lonely life, either facing political conspiracies or personal attacks. At a time when monarchical power reigned, he was dissatisfied with his status as a titled figurehead and tried to change it without success, thus often disagreeing with the elders in his cabinet. His association with the famous composer Wagner was strongly criticized by the cabinet and the people for excessive spending and lack of public and private interests. Wagner's eventual forced departure from Munich led Louis II to loathe Munich more and more, and to favor the Bavarian mountains, a world in which he felt happy and at home. <br/> <br/> His love life was a blank: at the age of 22, two days before his wedding, he suddenly announced that he had broken off his marriage to the Bavarian princess Sophie, and never married again. Unknown to the world, he hid himself in his own world and refrained from showing his face, even choosing to travel by night when he traveled. Because of his dissatisfaction with reality, he devotes himself to creating his own fairy tale world. <br/> <br/> In 1869, on the site of the Swan Castle in southern Bavaria, he sketched out his dream world---New Swan Castle. <br/> <br/> Neuschwanstein was an unfulfilled dream of Louis II, who was found dead by the lake with Dr. Gouden on June 13, 1886, five days after the Board of Medicine declared him insane. He was only 41 years old. Louis' death left his family with a debt of 14 million marks and left the world with unfinished dreams (the works stopped after Louis II's death). As late as the 1960s, the construction of Neuschwanstein was dismissed as an act of folly. <br/> <br/> The world has changed, and now the Germans have turned Louis II's dream into reality, and the costly construction of Neuschwanstein Castle has become a big moneymaker for the German tourism industry, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany. <br/><br/> A distant view of the Neuschwanstein Castle gives one a dreamlike feeling - the spires of the towers are scattered in the windy woods, as if the sound of human voices floating. Neuschwanstein Castle is located in the mountains, standing on a rocky plateau, the back side of a clear and transparent lake, a bird's eye view of the surrounding gently undulating forests, the quiet natural scenery and the Neuschwanstein Castle dream-like appearance of each other. <br/><br/> The castle is full of Louis II's ideas of planning and design: extravagance and splendor. His post-Goethean carved wooden bed alone took 14 carpenters two years to complete. The Chateau was not without its swan-themed decorations. For Louis II, the swan symbolized purity, and its beauty can be seen in everything from frescoes and door handles to bath tubs.
At present, for the visit of the interior of only six, tourists do not have the opportunity to witness those who are not yet completed or not yet part of the construction, and one after another visit can not be slowed down, think of the huge castle and Louis's life is compressed in this limited time to visit, and then sent out of the chateau, do not feel a little funny and regret. What's more, I didn't see the picture of the chateau taken in the guidebook, and I was really upset (I later learned that only helicopters can take that picture). I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea to leave a little gap so that the dream can continue to be beautiful in there.
Some things can't survive once they are out of the dream world, so the distance is always beautiful.
Everyone should have a castle of their own, so that time in the castle no longer have any meaning; let the dream in the castle to fly free.
Everyone should have a castle of his own.