Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle is located above Hohenschwangau near Füssen.
It was built from 1869 for the Bavarian King Ludwig II as an idealised concept of a knight’s castle from medieval times.
The king lived in the castle for only a few months and died shortly before the annex was completed.
Neuschwanstein was originally called New Castle Hohenschwangau but has had its current name since 1886.

Neuschwanstein is the most famous of all of Ludwig II’s castles and it is one of Germany’s most famous tourist attractions.
Neuschwanstein, which is often called a fairytale castle, is open to visitors almost all year round.

Construction started on the castle in 1869. Ludwig II’s needs and demands grew alongside the building, as did the expense, and the designs and quotations had to be revised many times.
Only a modest study was originally planned instead of the large throne room, and the guest rooms were removed from the plans to create space for a Moorish style room that was never realised due to the constant lack of money.
The completion of the castle was originally planned for 1872 but had to be postponed repeatedly. Although the King received allowances from global funds from 1871 in return for his Imperial Letter, his financial means were also increasingly appropriated by his other construction projects.
The palace and the Neuschwanstein gatehouse were largely completed externally by 1886; the King was able to live in the palace from 1884. Ludwig II lived just in the castle for a total of just 172 days until his death in 1886,
when it was still a large construction site.