By Robt Cromartie
If you've seen any Disney movie, you'll know the castle that Sleeping Beauty lived in. It appears in the company's logo at the beginning of each film. As a child, you may even have dreamed of one day visiting a building just like this one. The good news is that you can, because the castle that inspired Disney's design really exists. It is called Neuschwanstein Castle and it stands on a hill in Bavaria, Germany.
In Germany's Bavaria, near the border with Austria, the Schwangau municipality consists of several small villages. During the Middle Ages there were three castles on the hills in this area. By the nineteenth century only the ruins remained, but in 1832 the Bavarian king, Maximilian II, bought one of the castles, known as Schwanstein. He built a new castle, Hohenschwangau Castle, on top of these ruins.
After Maximilian II died in 1864, his son Ludwig became King Ludwig II of Bavaria at the age of 18. Ludwig II decided to build a new palace on the ruins of the other two castles. This palace was to be a place where the shy and intensely private king could withdraw from public life.
The first draft of the design was made by a Munich stage designer called Christian Jank. Jank was the perfect choice, since Ludwig II loved the work of Richard Wagner. The king wanted his new home to look like a medieval castle like the ones in Wagner's operas. Eduard Riedel, an architect, then used Jank's drawings as basis for his architectural design, with the king's input. The result was a design in the Romanesque Revival style.
In 1868 workers started preparing the building site. In 1869 the foundation stone was laid and construction started. The builders used brick to construct the walls and then covered these in white limestone. They also used sandstone and marble in the finishes. In 1884, even before construction was completed, the king moved in. He stayed there until his death in 1886.
Six weeks after the king's death, the castle was opened to public visitors who paid an entrance fee. This helped recover the building costs. Since then it has become a popular tourist attraction and it now receives 1.3 million visitors annually.
Visitors can only enter the building as part of a guided tour. When you visit, the tour guide will help you appreciate the ornate paintings depicting scenes from those sagas that inspired Wagner's operas. The Upper Hall has the saga of Gudrun while the Lower Hall shows the Sigurd saga. The story of Tristan and Isolde is depicted in the bedroom and the tragic tale of Tannhauser is shown in the study. Parzifal's adventures are shown in the Singer's Hall and those of his son Lohengrin in the Salon.
To get to Neuschwanstein Castle, you need to travel to Fussen and from there to the village of Hohenschwangau. You can do this by car or by public transport. You need to buy your admission tickets to the castle in the village and then the ultimate fairy-tale castle is only a short walk, carriage ride or bus trip away.
In Germany's Bavaria, near the border with Austria, the Schwangau municipality consists of several small villages. During the Middle Ages there were three castles on the hills in this area. By the nineteenth century only the ruins remained, but in 1832 the Bavarian king, Maximilian II, bought one of the castles, known as Schwanstein. He built a new castle, Hohenschwangau Castle, on top of these ruins.
After Maximilian II died in 1864, his son Ludwig became King Ludwig II of Bavaria at the age of 18. Ludwig II decided to build a new palace on the ruins of the other two castles. This palace was to be a place where the shy and intensely private king could withdraw from public life.
The first draft of the design was made by a Munich stage designer called Christian Jank. Jank was the perfect choice, since Ludwig II loved the work of Richard Wagner. The king wanted his new home to look like a medieval castle like the ones in Wagner's operas. Eduard Riedel, an architect, then used Jank's drawings as basis for his architectural design, with the king's input. The result was a design in the Romanesque Revival style.
In 1868 workers started preparing the building site. In 1869 the foundation stone was laid and construction started. The builders used brick to construct the walls and then covered these in white limestone. They also used sandstone and marble in the finishes. In 1884, even before construction was completed, the king moved in. He stayed there until his death in 1886.
Six weeks after the king's death, the castle was opened to public visitors who paid an entrance fee. This helped recover the building costs. Since then it has become a popular tourist attraction and it now receives 1.3 million visitors annually.
Visitors can only enter the building as part of a guided tour. When you visit, the tour guide will help you appreciate the ornate paintings depicting scenes from those sagas that inspired Wagner's operas. The Upper Hall has the saga of Gudrun while the Lower Hall shows the Sigurd saga. The story of Tristan and Isolde is depicted in the bedroom and the tragic tale of Tannhauser is shown in the study. Parzifal's adventures are shown in the Singer's Hall and those of his son Lohengrin in the Salon.
To get to Neuschwanstein Castle, you need to travel to Fussen and from there to the village of Hohenschwangau. You can do this by car or by public transport. You need to buy your admission tickets to the castle in the village and then the ultimate fairy-tale castle is only a short walk, carriage ride or bus trip away.
About the Author:
When searching for creative vacation ideas, don't miss out on the Allgau area. Further information can be read on the official website
0 comments:
Post a Comment