Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge), a bridge which spans the Pöllat Gorge. It was from this bridge that King Ludwig II admired his dream castle.The gorge with its steep rocky walls had already been “discovered” as a place of beauty during Maximillan II’s time - father of Ludwig II. As a child growing up in Schloss Hohenschwangau, Ludwig II had already grown to love the beautiful scenery of the Schwangau area, including the dramatic waterfall in the Pöllatschlucht (Pöllat Gorge) above Neuschwanstein.