Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, English: New Swanstone Castle) is a nineteenth-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. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and by means of extensive borrowing, rather than Bavarian public funds.

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. Since then more than 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle and later, similar structures.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Some facts of Neuschwanstein Castle:

• The foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle was laid down on 5th September 1869.
• Christian Jank, a theatrical set designer and not an architect, was the designer of the castle.
• Public photography is not permitted inside the periphery of Neuschwanstein Castle. However, it is still the most photographed building in Germany.
• It is estimated that around 1.3 million people visit the caste annually, with the number of summer visitors being as high as 6,000 per day.
• Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park.
• The castle is under the ownership of the state of Bavaria, which has spent more than €14.5 million on its maintenance, renovation and visitor services, since 1990.
• The conception of Neuschwanstein Castle was outlined by Ludwig II, in a letter to Richard Wagner, dated May 13, 1868.
• The castle was initially known as New Hohenschwangau Castle. It was only after the death of Ludwig II that it was re-named Neuschwanstein.
• Neuschwanstein Castle comprises of a gatehouse, a Bower, the Knight's House - with a square tower, and a Palas or citadel - with two towers to the Western end.
• The castle is featured on the cover of the Blur single "Country House".
• 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' and 'The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm' are amongst the movies in which the Neuschwanstein Castle has been featured.
• The castle has been heavily featured in the video game 'The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery'.
• Neuschwanstein Castle is all set to appear on a €2 commemorative coin, for the German Bundesländer series, in 2012.
• The castle was one of the finalists in the selection of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
• Neuschwanstein Castle is the most famous of three royal palaces built for Louis II of Bavaria.
• The Throne Room of the castle, created as the Grail-Hall of Parsifal, has been designed as per Byzantine style. Inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul), the throne room is 2-storied and is adorned with pillars of imitation porphyry and lapis lazuli.
• The towers and spires of Neuschwanstein Castle are reminiscent of the castles of medieval times.
• The Singer's Hall, a copy of the Minstrels Hall of the Wartburg Castle, occupies the entire 4th floor of the castle.
• Exquisite chandeliers can be seen adorning the interiors of Neuschwanstein Castle.
• The bedroom in the castle is carved in the Neo-Gothic style. It is said that it took 4.5 years to build this room.

Below is a video about Neuschwanstein Castle and live story of Ludwig II of Bavaria which is the initiator of constructing this Castle.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C0sAKsATCk

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com

Posted in: Germany