It's tuesday, 10.03.15 and I had a day-off from school today, due to the German classes today. Good timing, because the weather was awsome, it was warm and sunny. I couldn't stay at home, so I went to visit Neuschwanstein castle and the old town of Füssen near by the castle. I bought a Bavarian day ticket from the ticket machine in the Munich railway station, which cost me 23 euros. The tour ticket cost 11 eur for a student (12 eur for others :D ). One way was about 2.45-3 hours by trains and busses.
Early bird
Early bird
Bought the ticket, you can see the castle on the background
Neuschwanstein Castle was built between 1869 and 1886 under King Ludwig II of Bavaria. This kind of castle in these years?! It is very interesting story behind that castle..
King Ludwig was forced onto the throne before he was 20, and, in just two years, suffered a crushing military defeat which was a huge blow to Bavaria. The young King appeared to also have a rather troubled personality. So, rather than tackle his disappointments and failures head-on, he immersed himself a fantasy-world of building fairytale castles.
The king was a romantic, a friend and suporter of composer Richard Wagner, and he hired theatrical set designers rather than architects to design his castles.
King Ludwig was forced onto the throne before he was 20, and, in just two years, suffered a crushing military defeat which was a huge blow to Bavaria. The young King appeared to also have a rather troubled personality. So, rather than tackle his disappointments and failures head-on, he immersed himself a fantasy-world of building fairytale castles.
The king was a romantic, a friend and suporter of composer Richard Wagner, and he hired theatrical set designers rather than architects to design his castles.
Neuschwanstein Castle is the ultimate result of his obsessions (or, some would say, his gathering insanity).
King Ludwig grew up in neighbouring Hohenschwangau castle.This perhaps explains his adult fascination with Medieval folklore and history - he had been a real little prince, who had grown up in a real little castle.
Neuschwanstein Castle, perched on a rugged hill in front of the Alpine foothills near Füssen, in southwest Bavaria, Germany. This cliff-top creates more than its fair share of headaches for modern maintenance-men. Natural erosion and weathering is destabilising the bedrock beneath the castle, a potential ecological time-bomb. This is being managed by netting the cliffs, and searching for engineering solutions.
Neuschwanstein in 1886-
Every part of Neuschwanstein reflects the troubled and eccentric life of King Ludwig. Had it been completed, the palace would have had more than 200 interior rooms, including premises for guests and servants, as well as for service and logistics. Ultimately, no more than about 15 rooms and halls were finished
The Throne Hall was inspired by Byzantine churches and in particular the All Saints Court Church in Munich. This combination of church and throne room illustrates Ludwig's interpretation of kingship: he saw himself not just as a king by God's grace, but also as a mediator between God and the whole world. This idea is also expressed in the cupola, which is decorated with stars, and the floor mosaic beneath it, which shows the earth with its plants and animals.
"Neuschwanstein throne room" by Joseph Albert
"Neuschwanstein throne room" by Joseph Albert
As in all the residences of Ludwig II, the king's bedroom is particularly sumptuous. The leitmotif is the legend of Tristan and Isolde, and the two main characters feature not only in the murals, but also in the carvings on the door and the ceramic figures on the tiled stove. The state bed in the neo-gothic style and the seat coverings are in blue silk, with embroidered and appliquéd lions, swans, crowns, lilies and the Bavarian coat of arms.
"Neuschwanstein bedroom" by Joseph Albert
"Neuschwanstein bedroom" by Joseph Albert
In 1886, King Ludwig was declared insane. Whether or not he was truly mad is an issue for debate: it suited his court to try and depose him on grounds of mental health. After his diagnosis, he was forced to leave the castle, and, three days later, he died in extremely suspicious circumstances. Historians don't know for sure how 'Mad' King Ludwig died. We do know that he died in 1886, and his body was found floating in Lake Starnberg - alongside the body of his psychiatrist, Dr Gudden.
One of the official theories was that Ludwig had killed his psychiatrist (there were marks of struggle on Gudden's body), and Ludwig had then either committed suicide, or drowned accidentally within the lake after the struggle. It's also unlikely he would have drowned, as he had been a strong swimmer from an early age. At the time of Ludwig's death the palace was far from complete. He only slept 11 nights in the castle.
Partially because of the vast debts incurred, just weeks after King Ludwig's death, his family opened the castle to tourists.
One of the official theories was that Ludwig had killed his psychiatrist (there were marks of struggle on Gudden's body), and Ludwig had then either committed suicide, or drowned accidentally within the lake after the struggle. It's also unlikely he would have drowned, as he had been a strong swimmer from an early age. At the time of Ludwig's death the palace was far from complete. He only slept 11 nights in the castle.
Partially because of the vast debts incurred, just weeks after King Ludwig's death, his family opened the castle to tourists.
And some pictures I took from the old town of Füssen, which is near to the castle..
Some Pictures and text from Wikipedia and Google and also from www.neuschwanstein.de
Was Great day again, but now I have to cure my flu I've got from not wearing enough clothes!
Bye!
Was Great day again, but now I have to cure my flu I've got from not wearing enough clothes!
Bye!