--- Neuschwanstein in Bavaria is a castle in the village of Hohenschwangau in the municipality of Schwangau near Füssen in the Allgäu, built in the second half of the 19th century by order of (later declared insane)
--- King Ludwig or Louis II of Bavaria. It is Louis II's most famous building and, with around 1.3 million visitors per year, one of Germany's most popular tourist attractions. Construction was started by Ludwig in 1869
--- and his intention was to erect a medieval knight's castle. The castle was designed by the theater architect and set designer Christian Jank, and Eduard Riedel and Georg von Dollmann were responsible for
--- its implementation. Work on the castle was immediately halted upon the death of Lodewijk in 1886. The castle was originally called the Neue Burg Hohenschwangau, its current name was given in 1886 after the death of Lodewijk.
--- The first name goes back to the castle of the lords of Schwangau, which was located on the same place. The medieval Schwanstein Castle was located on the site of today's Hohenschwangau Castle.
--- Ironically, the castle, built for a single occupant, opened to visitors six weeks after Louis II's death, and has since become a top European attraction. Tourists can go up on foot or (like the king) be taken
--- up by carriage. Walt Disney visited Neuschwanstein before construction began on his first theme park and it was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in California.
--- Between the mountains, the famous Marienbrücke was built a little higher up around 1850 by King Maximilian II, the father of Louis. From this building you have a beautiful view of the castle.