The name of the castle is translated from German as "New Swan Cliff". It was created thanks to King Ludovig II, who dedicated the building to his friend Richard Wagner.
Once upon a time there were two fortresses on the site of the castle, but Ludovig II wanted to build a fabulous palace. By his order, the rock was blown up, and the plateau dropped by about 8 meters. By 1869, the road and water supply were ready, after which the construction of the castle began.
The artistic ideas of the court architect Riedel were embodied by the master Jank. In 4 years, the gate was built, and the work on the castle was completed in another 10 years. The process dragged on, because the king was building Neuschwanstein without using public money. He could bring the matter to an end only after the death of his father, when resources appeared. It took twice as much money as planned, and the king was in debt.
Unfinished but majestic
The main building material was sandstone, but the windows, vaults, and columns were made of marble. A steam-powered crane lifted trolleys of building materials for the construction of an elegant 5-story building. More than 200 stonecutters, carpenters and auxiliary workers worked at the construction site.
The king briefly enjoyed the views from the fourth floor, where his chambers were located. He died two years later and the work was suspended. The third floor, the room for the knights, the western terrace and the bathhouse remained unfinished. The main tower, 90 m high, was not built at all.
But the king managed to create a hall for singers, around which the entire castle was built. Under Henry II, the hall was not used, but since 1933, festive concerts have been held here for six years. The tradition was resumed in 1969.
The most impressive in the castle is the unfinished throne room, created by the king in honor of the grace of God. Religious motives in the decoration, marble staircase, mosaic floor adorned the room. In general, the interior of the castle is dedicated to swan motives according to old Germanic legends. The swan is a heraldic bird of the count's family, whose successor Ludovig's father considered himself. The rooms are also decorated with illustrations for Wagner's operas.
Using the lock
During the Great Patriotic War, the castle kept the gold of the Reichsbank, as well as furniture, paintings and jewelry from Hitler's collection. Ludovig II built the castle in a secluded place, and not in the city, so the building survived. In the post-war period, Neuschwanstein was used for the filming of a film about a fictional land and for two films about Ludovig II.
An interesting fact from the life of P. I. Tchaikovsky: he was fascinated by the view of the castle, and as a result, according to historians, the idea of the ballet "Swan Lake" appeared.
Now it is one of the popular tourist destinations for people looking for romantic adventures in the south of Germany, near the city of Füssen. Only one person lives in the castle - the watchman who guards the museum. Tourists come here on foot, come by horse-drawn carriage or by bus.
