The majestic Alpine peaks, the gently undulating Alpine foothills, the lush green of the forests, the colourful meadows and glistening lakes - the Ammergau Alps - recently declared a nature park - fascinate and inspire! No wonder that King Maximilian II and - his son - the eccentric King Ludwig II were able to enjoy the magnificent scenery of Hohenschwangau Castle. (1845 -1886) built his spectacular fairytale castle Neuschwanstein on a rugged rock high above the Pöllatschlucht.
the “nursery” of the young King Ludwig II. The history of Hohenschwangau goes a long way back, mentioned in history as Castle Schwanstein as early the 12th century. At the time it was occupied by the Knights of Schwangau. Over the centuries, the castle sustained severe damage.
In 1832, the Crown Prince Maximilian, who later became King Max II, acquired the castle. In the following 5 years, Maximilian had the castle rebuilt as today’s Hohenschwangau and his family used it as a summer and hunting home. After his death, his son King Ludwig II took over the Royal Apartments and had them decorated after his own imagination. He too spent much time at Hohenschwangau. The Royal Apartments, the castle gardens and the castle church are preserved to this day and can still be visited.
King Ludwig II was already enthusiastic about a narrow ridge above Hohenschwangau as a teenager. At this place the "Kini", as the Bavarians affectionately call him, wanted to build his castle - the ideal of a medieval knight's castle, similar to the Wartburg in Eise restored at that time, equipped with the most modern technical achievements. The impressive castle is considered a prime example of the then modern architectural style of historicism, which combines numerous elements of historical architectural styles.
Inspired by the stage paintings of the Munich theatre painter Christian Jank, Ludwig II commissioned his romantic architectural fantasies from the two renowned architects Eduard Riedel and Georg von Dollmann. He himself participated intensively in the building plans, so that the fascinating palace can be regarded as his creation.
The foundation stone for Neuschwanstein was laid in 1869. It was not until 1884 that some rooms in the castle could be occupied. Inside, one is immersed in a unique, opulent dream world. His admiration for the operas of his fatherly friend Richard Wagner becomes clear. The result is an overwhelming mix of many epochs and styles, pictures from the saga of various Wagner operas such as Lohengrin, Parsival and Tannhäuser, beautiful frescoes, lots of gold, mosaics and even an artificial grotto. The rooms, lavishly designed in the style of different epochs, for example the magnificent Singers' Hall, the largest room in the castle, the Throne Hall in Byzantine architecture and the lavishly furnished private rooms fascinate visitors from all over the world.
But King Ludwig II lived in the castle for only 172 days. Although the shy fairy-tale king had his castle built exclusively as a private retreat, it was opened to the public just six weeks after his death in order to pay off the loans for the high construction costs. He had ordered that no normal mortal should ever enter his dream world: "The eyes of the people would desecrate and defile it".
The royal castles are among the 1,000 places you must have seen once in your life! The ideal starting point for this is the PARKHOTEL AM SOIER SEE in the heart of the Ammergau Alps, in the triangle between Munich, Zug spitze and Neuschwanstein, only 30 minutes by car from the royal castles. Please reserve your admission to the palace tours when you book your hotel, as spontaneous visits are not possible due to the high demand.
