Saturday, June 14, 2014

Neuschwanstein Castle

"There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds"

     When planning a trip to Germany, most people will include a visit to a castle on their itinerary but with so many to choose from how do you decide which one to see?  I chose Neuschwanstein Castle because my daughter still believes in fairytales and I knew she would love it.  So I promised her we would go even though at the time I didn't know when.
     The castle was built by King Ludwig II.  He was nicknamed the " Fairytale King " and all you have to do is look at this castle from the outside to understand why he got that nickname and if the exterior of the castle doesn't convince you then take a tour of the interior...unbelievably beautiful!
     For those that might not know, Walt Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland, California after this castle.  They both have a lot in common.
     Some people will tell you to skip this castle because it's very touristy and that is true but I think it's worth a visit and with fighting the crowds over.  Since I'm traveling with two kids I didn't want to hear the complaints about having to walk up the BIG hill so I told them I would pay for the bus ride up to the middle bridge where all the famous pictures are taken and then we would walk down the BIG hill...easier to go down then up!
     The castle looks different from every area you view it...from the bottom, from the bridge, from the other castle across the way, halfway up the hill, front, back and side but it always looks breathtaking!
     Unfortunately, King Ludwig II died before the castle was finished, only a third was ever completed.  Within weeks of his death the castle was opened for tours to help pay the cost of what had already been done.

     On our trip, I hope to visit another castle King Ludwig II built.

No comments:

Post a Comment