Exploring The Myth Of Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Is A Bavarian Wonder Constructed With Fantasy In Mind

By Brandon Darnell

It is the best castle in the excellent setting constructed during the incorrect time. Perched large in the German Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle is the epitome of the fairy tale palace with its beautiful white limestone facades and numerous turrets and spires, but provided that it was created quite a few hundred many years following medieval times, the large windows carved out of every single wall assistance attest to the reality that it was built as a household, not a fortress.

Neuschwanstein Castle towers in excess of the Bavarian village of ohenschwangau, just a brief bus trip from the nearest train station in Fussen. The surrounding mountains are dotted with evergreen trees and several lakes one particular of which was in which the dead entire body of King Ludwig II (or the swan-King) was observed floating shortly immediately after he went mad, and many years following he ordered the castle to be created in the late 1860s as an homage to the bygone era of knights and mythology.

I watched the shadows of clouds float lazily in excess of a landscape dotted with villages that, aside from the modern day roads, have probably looked the exact same for centuries. The lakes had been a wealthy blue, and all the vegetation was a lush green. When I rounded the last corner and got my very first glimpse of the castle up close I couldn’t assistance but end and stare. The castle rises precariously out of its rocky foundation and seems to flirt with the sky. An wonderful sight that leaves minor wonder as to why it served as an inspiration for Disney.

I walked all-around the base of the palace and climbed to its upper courtyard the place I took in the same scenery I had seen on the hike up. The Marienbrucke bridge, which spans a little stream and waterfall next to the castle, was crowded with vacationers and I realized I was most likely producing it into a number of hundred photographs.

I joined up with a single of the tours and we started by coming into one particular of the king’s servants space which, not to be outdone by the other rooms, was covered in oak-paneled walls and contained beautifully carved furniture. We continued on to the next rooms and it seemed that just about every inch of the interior dripped with the form of elegance that I imagined only existed in Versailles. All over the place I looked I marveled at the quite a few paintings of medieval legends and heroes. The throne room — however missing the throne — was especially breathtaking its platform was flanked by tall candelabras and capped off by a dome on which was a painting of Christ and His canonized kings.

As we walked, our guide linked some of the history of Ludwig and the Castle’s connection with Richard Wagner. Wagner was a close pal of the king and it was he who Ludwig 1st wrote to with his notion for Neuschwanstein, and it was Wagner’s mythical operas that served as the inspiration for the design and building of the fantastical structure.

After the tour was in excess of I found myself back in the courtyard and I gazed above a parapet down to Hohenschwangau Castle. For a mixed admission ticket of 17 euros each castles can be toured, but soon after seeing Neuschwanstein it’s a lot more than obvious which outdoes the other.

Aching to see the castle from yet another angle, I took the brief hike more than to the Marienbrucke bridge whose vantage level is the ideal for taking images. I really don't have a huge dread of heights, but the thought of strolling out onto a bridge constructed more than a hundred many years earlier and paved with wood planks created me hesitate. Reluctantly, I stepped onto the planks and rolled my eyes as they flexed below the bodyweight of my entire body and the scores of many others along its span. I stared down at the waterfall far under us and I slowly let my eyes rise to see the castle once more. It only awed me. To me, it will always be 1 of the most lovely sights in the world.

Fast Data for Neuschwanstein:

• Open all days except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Shrove Tuesday. Opening hours fluctuate by the season.
• Admission – €9 for just Neuschwanstein, or €17 for the two castles, booked in advance. Getting the tickets on the day of a tour will be a Euro or two less costly, but it is proposed to book in advance.
• Official English-language Internet website:http://www.neuschwanstein.com/english/