Ever wondered about the Disney Castles? The castle of the sleeping beauty in Disney Land has a precedent in history itself. Nestled precariously on the side of a mountain, Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria brings to mind fairy tales, stories of knights, princes, princesses and happily ever after. This fantasy-come-to-life was built by the King of Bavaria, Ludwig II, in 1869.

Rather than employing architects, this eccentric king brought in a theatrical set designer, Christian Jank, to create his vision. Ludwig dedicated the castle to his muse, Richard Wagner, being a great admirer of his operas. Originally named New Hohenschwangau Castle, it was renamed upon Ludwig’s death in 1886, honoring Wagner’s opera of the same name. Neuschwanstein Castle literally means ‘The Castle of the Swan Knight’, which seems especially apt as Ludwig was fascinated with swans, showing through much of the interior details in the building.

Ludwig personally involved himself in both the exterior and interior design, ensuring not only that they followed his plans, but that the scenic locale for his castle was kept intact. He was known to be an avid nature lover, greatly influenced by his father’s enjoyment of the outdoors. The castle was built to resemble a medieval castle, with what were then modern conveniences, such as a flushing toilet, the mechanism for it subtly hidden from view, the effect not detracting from the ambiance of the interior. The water came from a spring some 200 feet above the castle, fresh and drinkable.

The difficulties presented by the location hindered progress on the building, much to the dismay of the king. He expected it to be finished faster, and was known to set unreasonable deadlines, forcing builders to work through the night to meet them. Teams of workers spent years working on the rooms within the castle, for instance, just the king’s bedroom had a team of 14 carpenters working there for 4 and a half years to finish the wood work. And no, they were not slow!

Only 14 rooms inside the castle were fully decorated before Ludwig’s death, among them a grotto, which included details such as cave like walls, and an artificial waterfall lit from above. This room, along with the conservatory, salon, dining room, lower hall, servant’s room, oratory, dressing room, singer’s hall, tribune passage, singer’s hall, throne room, and the king’s bedroom are all accessible on the tour of the Palace. The interesting thing to note was the king’s desire to encompass the world’s greatest art in this one building. The throne room was designed after the Grail Hall of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal. The walls were decorated in Byzantine style murals and the architecture is an imitation of the grand architecture of Hagia Sophia. Just looking at the grandeur, one is bound to start wondering about the throne that never was built.

These rooms are not all located on the first floor though. The tour skips the second floor, as it was never completed. Each room throughout the tour impresses with the lavish paintings, furnishings, ceilings and even tile floors that adorn them. No expense was spared by Ludwig in creating his masterpiece, Neuschwanstein Castle, even incomplete, is a truly remarkable sight to behold.

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