Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!

King Ludwig II's Palaces and Castles

Like all countries with roots reaching back thousands of years, Germany has its share of majestic palaces and castles. Perhaps most famous is Neuschwanstein in the lush Black Forest region of Bavaria in the south of Germany. Nearby Hohenschwangau is where the eccentric royal grew up and Nymphenburg is where he was born.   

Neuschwanstein

The opulent 19th century castle is the tangible outcome of King Ludwig II’s fanciful dreams and reportedly the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella Castle. Ludwig had a thing for castles and palaces; building and furnishing them ate up the country’s coffers and earned him the name Mad King Ludwig. Fourteen woodcarvers worked 4 ½ years on his intricately carved bed alone. It took him 17 years to build the fantasy abode, but he only lived in it for about six months before his mysterious death, leaving it about two-thirds of it never completed. Ludwig's obsession with composer and pianist Richard Wagner is evident throughout the castle, with several rooms reflecting key elements of Wagner's epic operas. Rising to the throne at only 18 years old, Ludwig coped with the pressures of ruling Bavaria by escaping further into a fantasized medieval world epitomized in Wagner's works.

Click here for a recipe based on the delicious Black Forrest Cherry Cake.

Hohenschwangau

In the shadow of Neuschwanstein is Hohenschwangau Castle, Ludwig’s childhood home. King Ludwig II's father, King Maxmillian II, had taken the ruins of a centuries old castle and reproduced the original medieval atmosphere. The summer hunting residence sits amid the beauty of Bavaria, with views of the majestic Alps and Alpsee lake, and was a favorite of young Ludwig. Hohenschwangau's decor heavily featured medieval Bavarian knights and folklore, fueling Ludwig's interest in fantasy and mythology. Many of the legendary figures were also the subject of Wagner operas, and factored in Ludwig's relationship with him. As the composer's benefactor, Ludwig enjoyed personal concerts at Hohenschwangau.

Nymphenburg

Ludwig’s birth home is not far away in Munich. He was born in 1845 at Nymphenburg Palace, the family’s summer home. A major feature of this idyll is its 490-acre park, a classical landscape garden of manicured grounds, symmetrical flowerbeds and sculptures as well as a central canal bordered by a cascade. Also on the grounds are several small palaces, a hunting lodge, Chinese Teahouse, botanical garden, and a natural history museum. The picture-perfect gardens have been featured in many films and as stunning photographic backdrops. While the gardens are free and open to the public, only a portion of the palace can be toured since Nymphenburg still serves as the home of the current Duke of Bavaria.

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