Castle Series: King Ludwig II Vision's... Schloss Neuschwanstein

Schloss Neuschwanstein is the castle of castles in Germany. This King Ludwig II of Bavaria imaginative design is said to be what Disney modeled the castle for Sleeping Beauty and the inspiration of their logo Magic Kingdom Cinderella castle in Disneyland. This castle situated in Schwangau, Germany is about 2 hours south of Munich.  Entrance into this castle is provided through a guided tour at a designated time.  Exteriorly, the grandiose of this castle is easy to see but, it by no means provides an indication to the splendor within the castle walls. Sadly, the castle reserves the right to ban interior photography so, it is a trip one has to made in order to fully absorb the exquisiteness in Ludwig’s vision. One of my favorite rooms within the castle is the huge space-ish ballroom entirely encrusted with gold paint. The floor is composed of mosaic tiles assembled in detailed pictures of swans, suns and peacocks. In the front of the room stands a platform with the thrown of Ludwig overlooking the impressiveness. 

 It’s amazing to see the level of detailed thoughts and planning this retreat home encompass. Sadly, Ludwig did not have the opportunity to enjoy it fully with completion. Ludwig’s life of royalty was portrayed as one of seclusion. It was thought he suffered from a mental illness (younger brother Otto was declared mentality insane); he disliked the confinements of this royal stature (he was speculated to be gay) and only found excitement in life through the arts/ architecture. Members of the government declared him unfit to rule a kingdom and had him arrested June 10, 1886. On June 13, 1886 Ludwig the II of Bavaria was found dead with an aid in Lake Starnberg. The mystery of his death is still controversial.  It was reported the King had committed suicide by drowning himself in the lake however, he was known to be a good swimmer and the water was not deep. There was another report of the king shooting himself by the lake. The autopsy did not report of any water in the lungs nor bullet markings.

The true nature of his death remains in speculation. The castle was not complete and still is not complete in its entirely as Ludwig had envisioned. Besides his love for swans, noticeable throughout his home, the death of Ludwig by the lake termed him the Swan King. Wealth and prestige isn’t everything, but it most certainly allowed King Ludwig II to convert the beauty of his ideas into living art for the world to always adore.