As the phrase goes, if Heineken did castles, they would probably do Neuschwanstein. “Mad” King Ludwig II’s hilltop masterpiece is perched at the Northern edge of the Alps, to the south of Munich, from where it thrusts skyward. The gothic morass of towers and turrets will be instantly recognised by anyone who has visited a Disney theme park and legend has it that Walt Disney used Neuschwanstein as the model for Sleeping Beauty’s castle. As a result facsimilies of it decorate theme parks from Florida to Japan.
Which makes sense once you realise that it was designed not by architects but stage designer Christian Jank, with the whole project driven by the King’s obsession with Wagnerian opera – think Gornenghast set to music. As a result Neuschwanstein is full of references to Wagner’s music. For example, the Singers’ Hall references Parsifal, including a mural of the sacred forest surrounding the Castle of the Holy Grail.
As breathtaking as the exterior is, the interiors do indeed almost surpass it as these photos of the Throne Hall and one of the porticoed corridors show. There is even an actual grotto, referencing Wagner’s Tannhäuser, which connects the drawing room to the study.
However, the fates reserve a special end for those that dream and the Bavarian treasury, was the instrument of fate here. The King’s project had taken the state along to the edge of bankruptcy and in a desperate attempt to save their state, it’s political leaders had their Ludwig declared insane. He lived in the castle for for less than six months.
Ever since then Neuschwanstein has become a great tourist attraction – I have visited several times – and so if you don’t fancy a trip to Disneyland why not head down to Bavaria and see the real thing instead?
Neuschwanstein – official website
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