Photo of the Week: Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau, Germany
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Photograph of the week: Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau, Germany

If you think this confection of towers, turrets, frescoes, and sparkling white walls, cast deep in the green, green woods, could well be a palace plucked straight out of a fairy tale, you’d be absolutely correct. In fact, Neuschwanstein Castle, located in Bavaria, Germany, has served as the real-life inspiration for the abodes of not one, but two of your favourite fairy tale royal families. Photo of the Week: Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau, Germany Neuschwanstein (or in its native German, Schloss Neuschwanstein), was first cast as the happy ending home for Cinderella in the 1950 Disney classic. Then, just five years later when Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, Sleeping Beauty’s palace bore more than a passing resemblance to the Bavarian beauty. With its white limestone façade, intricate brickwork, and deep blue turrets, it is little wonder that Walt Disney himself, the king of fantasy, found more than enough here to fuel some of his dreamiest works. The true story behind this castle, though, is a far cry from the “happily ever after” endings of Disney dreams. Commissioned in 1868 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Neuschwanstein Castle was meant to serve as his refuge from a cruel world. Stripped of his powers and any ruling sovereignty in the Austro-Prussian War just two years prior, an already eccentric, reclusive King Ludwig II retreated into a private fantasy world. One in which Neuschwanstein played a key role. By building his dream castle, a grand recreation of his childhood home – Hohenschwangau Castle, he was building himself an imaginary kingdom. A kingdom where he could live out his dreams of being a true royal. Sadly, Ludwig II would never see his final vision come to life. Although he was able to occupy parts of his castle in 1873, he died, suddenly and mysteriously, in 1886. The castle’s final towers weren’t completed until 1892. Today, Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular of Europe’s many palaces and castles. Every year nearly 1.5 million people visit this castle – in peak Summer season around 6,000 visitors stream through rooms originally intended for a single inhabitant every single day. A palace once meant is a shy man’s retreat from the world, has become host to an endless stream of traffic, all agog at the beauty of his fairytale vision. (We imagine Ludwig II is shuddering in his grave.) If you’d care to share in the fantasy (and really, who among us wouldn’t?), visiting Neuschwanstein Castle is an easy two-hour drive and from Munich along the A7. There are also multiple other travel options to get here, including tour groups, public trains and buses. (Note: trains to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich will go as far as Füssen, from where you will need to transfer to a local bus.) Whichever way you choose to travel, all visitors to Neuschwanstein will first arrive in Hohenschwangau, which is where tickets for the castle can be bought – although you can reserve tickets online, which is strongly encouraged. From Hohenschwangau, you will travel to Neuschwanstein by foot (a steep 40 minute climb), by shuttle bus, or by horse-drawn carriage. Neuschwanstein Castle tickets cost €13 (adults), and include a guided tour at a specified hour. The castle is open from 9am to 6pm between April and October 15; and from 10am to 4pm from between October 16 and March, but is closed to tourists on December 24th, 25th, 31st, and January 1st.   If you have a really special photograph you would like to share with A Luxury Travel Blog‘s readers, please contact us.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.

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4 Comments

  1. Definitely Disney-esque! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of Neuschwanstein before! It’s amazing, and the tickets are actually cheaper than I would have anticipated. Really not far from Munich either so even though it looks like it’s in the middle of nowhere the public transport options seem fairly decent. I wonder whether they do anything for Christmas, with lights and such to make it all the more enchanting?

  2. I’ve seen many pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle and I had always imagined that it dated from the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance. It came as quite a surprise to learn that it wasn’t built until the 19th century. Nor did I know of the fascinating but sad story behind it’s creation.

  3. With a location a bit like hilltop Colditz it crossed my mind that the castle might have been used to house prisoners of war during the Second World War. I did an internet search and found that instead it was used to store artwork plundered from France.

    Then in April 1945 the SS had plans to blow up the castle to prevent the building and the artwork falling into Allied hands but fortunately the plan never came to fruition.

    It was only due to the chaos of Nazi Germany in the last days of the Third Reich that Walt Disney and Disneyland got their castle.

  4. Could there be any more appropriate location for a glorious fairytale castle? Located high on a hill overlooking Bavarian forests and the river is the perfect location. Then again Ludwig knew exactly what he was looking for.

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