Located in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle was built by King Ludwig II in the neo-late romanesque style. The ultimate fairy-tale castle, Neuschwanstein was also Ludwig's first castle. He planned it for the alpine region around Hohenschwangau, the area he loved most and the site of his father's castle. Neuschwanstein means New swan's stone in German and was the inspiration for Walt Disney Cinderella's castle. Please note that is sometimes referred to as Vorderhohenschwangau, which means Further Hohenschwangau in German because Hohenschwangau was Ludwig's childhood home.
The inspiration to build Neuschwanstein came during a mini-Wagner festival, which included include new productions of Lohengrin and Tannhäuser, that King Ludwig II ordered for the Munich Court Theatre in 1867. The King wished for the sets for the Wagner festival to be as accurate and authentic as possible. Following Ludwig's failed engagement, the first plans for Neuschwanstein were drawn up in 1867. Christian Jank, the scenery designer at the Court Theatre, was employeed by Ludwig to paint the designs for the castle, which accounts for the dreamy, fairy-tale appearance of the building. Originally, Neuschwanstein was planned to be a small, but ornate castle in German Gothic style. However, the designs for the castle advanced, the castle's style changed from Gothic to Romanesque and it's size grew to be of enormous proportions. In fact, by 1869 the castle had became a massive temple to Wagner, and Christian Jank's design from 1869 was adopted for the project.
The first foundation stone for Neuschwanstein was laid in September 1869 and work continued for the next 23 years. The castle was completed in 1892, six years after Ludwig's death. Neuschwanstein is composed of five buildings:
For more information, please visit Castles of Europe.
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