| The Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most famous buildings in the world and was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle attraction at Disneyland. It was an hour drive away from Garmish by car and we had to pass briefly through Austria to get there. The structure is not like traditional castles built as fortifications, but more of a palace. Bavarian King Ludwig II (“Mad King Ludwig”) began the construction in 1869. This was one of many different structures built by Ludwig, an eccentric romantic foppish opera enthusiast. The interior was modeled after the opera themes of Richard Wagner, a close friend of Ludwig. Neuschwanstein was meant to be his private residence but construction was incomplete by the time he was deposed and drowned under mysterious circumstances in 1886. The costs associated with his construction projects were the main reason for his overthrow, yet they have become Bavaria’s largest tourist attractions and have paid for themselves several times over. On the way there we stopped off in Oberammergau, home of the Passion Plays. |
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