One of the most famous castles of the world is "Neuschwanstein" - built by the legendary Bavarian King Ludwig II.

Seven weeks after the death of King Ludwig II in 1886, Neuschwanstein was opened to the public. It was built between 1869 and 1886. Only about a third of the building was actually completed.

The 15 rooms you see on the tour show astonishing craftsmanship and richness of detail. Woodcarving in Ludwig's bedroom took 14 carpenters 4 1/2 years to complete. Wagner's operas feature everywhere in the form of murals. The best view of the castle and a 45m waterfall is from the nearby Mary's Bridge, which spans a deep gorge.

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"(c) Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung, www.neuschwanstein.de

King of Bavaria 1864 - 1886, * 25. 8. 1845 Nymphenburg,
† 13. 6. 1886 in the lake of Starnberg.

Even before he died, the king had already become something of a legend. "I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others", Ludwig once told his governess and it is this mysterious element that still fascinates people today. The poet Paul Verlaine called Ludwig II the "only true king of this century". The shy dreamer, who had none of the typical characteristics of a popular king, lives on, still idolized, as "the Kini".

His palaces, which were barred to strangers, have been visited by over 50 million people since his death. They are records in stone of the ideal fantasy world which the king built as a refuge from reality. His historic, poetic and ideal interpretation of his role as king was finally his downfall. It is possible that he preferred to die rather than return to reality