Neuschwanstein by Gottfried Knapp

Royal castle at Neuschwanstein in Bavaria

One and a half million visitors a year can't be wrong! For them, the royal castle at Neuschwanstein in Bavaria is the pinnacle of every dreamer's arhcitectural fairy-tale.

Natural surroundings

Never before have the charms of the natural surroundings been used so effectively to create an overall architectural picture, nor have historical forms been charged with so much meaning.

Political reason

In 1866 Bavaria, allied with Austria, had lost a war against the expanding Prussia. Bavaria was forced to accept a "defensive and offensive alliance", which removed the king's right to dispose over his army in case of war. From 1866, therefore, Ludwig II was no longer a sovereign ruler. This limitation was the biggest misfortune of his life. In 1867 he began planning his own kingdom, in the form of his castles and palaces, where he could be a real king.

King Ludwig II

Crown Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria, Ludwig II's father, had the ruined castle of Schwanstein rebuilt from 1832 in the Gothic style. The young Ludwig was influenced by the romantic mountain scenery and the summer castle became one of his favourite places to stay.

By Gottfried Knapp

Publisher: Edition Axel Menges
ISBN: 3930698331

More information

Castles Main Page
The King and His Castle