Neuschwanstein Castle
King Ludwig II became king of Bavaria at the age of 18. Disillusioned after a lost war with the Prussians, Ludwig lost all interest in politics and became increasingly eccentric and reclusive. He loved the theater and music, especially Richard Wagner's operas. He built three castles: Linderhof, Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee, all at incredible expense.
Neuschwanstein
Castle is King Ludwig's magnificent and most famous castle. It was built
between 1869 and 1886. He only lived in the castle for six months before his
tragic drowning at age 40, one day after being declared insane and incapable of
ruling.
Only about a third of the building was actually completed. The 15 rooms seen on
the tour show astonishing craftsmanship and richness of detail. the woodcarving
in Ludwig's bedroom took 14 carpenters 4 1/2 years to complete.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Linderhof, the
only one of Ludwig's castle to be complete, was the king's favorite. It was
built between 1870 and 1879, modeled on the Palace of Versailles. Its
interior is lavishly decorated, full of mirrors, painted ceilings and gilded
cherubs, in a mixture of Renaissance and baroque styles. The surrounding gardens
in French, Italian and English style include a grand cascade and artificial
grotto (cave). This picture is of the gardens across from the main palace. There
was a huge canvas tarp covering the entire front while they cleaned, so I was
unable to get a picture of the actual palace.