Neuschwanstein Castle

Built on a high hill at the edge of the foothills to the Alps, the castle commands a truly royal view of the Bavarian landscape below. The combination of its tall Gothic towers and Romanesque geometry create a solid looking fortress, with the pleasing visual appeal of a dreamlike fairy tale castle. It was originally designed to reproduce the appearance of the Germanic Arthurian knights’ castles of the Middle Ages.

This remarkable castle was constructed by Bavarian King Ludwig II, as a personal retreat and as a statement of admiration for his composer friend, Richard. Unfortunately, Richard (Wagner) died before the building was finished. Not that the good king enjoyed his masterpiece for very long himself. Ludwig lived in the structure for only 172 days before he too passed on. The castle was then turned into a tourist attraction, and has been an extremely successful one ever since.

This is one book that should not be solely based on its, albeit quite nice brick and limestone, cover. The interior is a stunning collection of intricate artistic representations on towering walls. The story lines from Wagner's operas are reproduced in abundance, with a particular emphasis on Lohengrin. The Arthurian legend in which, carried in a boat pulled by swans, he was sent to rescue a maiden. Hence Neuschwanstein, or ‘New Swan Stone Castle’, is a dedicated homage to Wagner's operatic presentations as well as the Arthurian legends, themselves.