Summer is a good time to visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. The green mountains and clear lakes can fully set off the white beauty of Neuschwanstein Castle. Coupled with the blue sky, the effect is absolutely perfect. I drove my car into the outskirts of the small town of Fussen, and I was shocked to see the Neuschwanstein Castle from above. Its façade is clean and white, with towering spires, just like a fairy tale.
Neuschwanstein Castle is located in Fussen in southwestern Bavaria, Germany. It is the end of the famous Romantic Avenue and was built in 1868. The number of German castles is staggering, with 14,000 still preserved, and Neuschwanstein Castle is the most famous. It is the number one tourist attraction in Germany and is also known as the most beautiful fairytale castle in the world. Because it is the prototype of Disney Castle, it is also known as “Cinderella Castle”.
Ludwig II’s idea for Neuschwanstein Castle began in May 1868, when he wrote a letter to his iconic composer Wagner, in which he mentioned his desire to build one on the ruins of two other castles New Castle. That summer, the project started.
The construction and decoration of the gate section was first completed in 1872. In 1873, the fort body project was started. On June 13, 1886, Ludwig II died suddenly, and his body was found in Lake Starnberg at the age of 41. At the time, Ludwig II was declared “insane” and deposed for this reason. Whether his death was an accident, suicide or murder is still inconclusive. Neuschwanstein Castle was not yet completed, and on August 1, six weeks after Ludwig’s death, the Bavarian royal family decided to open Neuschwanstein Castle to the public. Of course, this is not for “having fun with the people”, but hoping to repay the huge debt owed by the king during his lifetime by charging ticket fees.
Ludwig II’s life was full of tragedy. The Bavarian king was keen on opera and stage plays since he was a child, and he also wrote many plays. It is a pity that his love life suffered setbacks, and in the end he could only immerse himself in stage plays and his own fantasies. In his view, Neuschwanstein Castle is not a palace, but a backdrop for a stage play, a stage where fairy tales can be staged.
The huge castle project not only exhausted Ludwig II’s personal wealth, but also owed huge debts, so many Bavarians at that time criticized Neuschwanstein Castle. They didn’t think about the charm of Neuschwanstein Castle, which was opened to the public by tourists from all over Europe. By 1899, ticket sales had paid off all debt. Today, it is a world-famous attraction, bringing countless wealth to Bavaria.
The inside tour route provided by Neuschwanstein Castle does not allow photography, and visitors can only record with their eyes. The guided tour begins with the “red corridor” on the second floor, while the king’s living room is on the fourth floor, apparently related to defense needs.
In the era of the construction of Neuschwanstein Castle, technological progress has been changing with each passing day. So Neuschwanstein Castle presents a great contrast: its exterior and interior are typical of the Middle Ages, but the materials used and the way of construction are done with modern technology.
The most attractive is the frescoes in the castle. For example, the murals painted on the theme of Wagner’s opera “Tristan and Isolde” show Wagner’s passion in his youth. And this love of life and death and contempt for the secular also influenced Ludwig II to a large extent.
Because Ludwig II regarded swans as the incarnation of purity, the most common decorations in Neuschwanstein Castle are all kinds of swan decorations, from curtains, murals, to bathroom faucets, swan elements can always be seen.
Standing in front of the window of the castle, looking at the field outside the castle, I deeply felt the romance and idealism of Ludwig II. He uses his own aesthetics to make the castle and the natural landscape harmonious and unified, and can show different styles in the four seasons. This tragic king left only beauty to the world.
