Thursday 26 July 2012

Neuschwanstein in Bavaria



Neuschwanstein, nestled in the Bavarian Alps, is the most famous German castle and part of our list Top Ten Sights and Attractions in Germany.
But compared to other castles in the country, Neuschwanstein is neither old, nor was it ever built for defense. Ludwig II of Bavaria constructed this fairy tale castle in 1869, with the help of a stage designer, for pure pleasure; he built it as a fantastic summer retreat.



Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, pronounced [nɔʏˈʃvaːnʃtaɪn]) is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner. Contrary to common belief[citation needed], Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds (see below).
The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886.[1] Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle.[2] More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer.[3] The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle[4] and later, similar structures.

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