King Ludwig II said.  "I intend to rebuild the old castle ruins of Hohenschwangau by the Pollat Gorge in the genuine style of the old German Knightly fortresses........the spot is one of the most beautiful that one could ever find. "

Neuschwanstein Castle, royal palace in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the most famous of three royal palaces built for Louis II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig, who grew up nearby at Hohenschwangau Castle

Begun in 1869 and left unfinished at Louis's death in 1886, the castle is the embodiment of 19th century romanticism. In a fantastical imitation of a medieval castle, Neuschwanstein is set with towers and spires and is spectacularly sited on a high point over the P?t River gorge.

The construction of the castle was carried out according to a well thought-out plan. The castle was equipped with all kinds of technical conveniences which were very modern, if not to say revolutionary at that time. Running water on all floors. The spring which supplied the castle with excellent drinking water was located 200 meters above the castle. There were toilets equipped with automatic flushing on every floor. A warm air heating system for the entire building. A hot water system for the kitchen and the bath.

The entire facade of the castle was covered with slabs of limestone. This material was found in Alterschrofen near Swan Lake (Swansee). The supporting walls were built of brick 

The Throne Room was created as the Grail-Hall of Parsifal. It was designed in elaborate Byzantine style. It was inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul), the 2 story throne room with its series of pillars of imitation porphyry and lapis lazuli, was completed in the year of the Kings death in 1886. The most important object of this room, the throne, is missing.

King Louis was a patron of the German composer Richard Wagner, and the third-floor rooms reflect Louis's love of the legends used by Wagner in his operas: for Tannh䵳er, a winter garden and stalactite grotto; for Lohengrin, the great chamber; and the unfinished Byzantine throne room, its vaulted ceiling supported by inlaid stone columns and decorated with stars. The Singers Hall on the fourth floor, with a coffered ceiling, is dedicated to the life of Parsifal, hero of another famous Wagner opera. 

Singer's Hall

The Singer's Hall occupies the entire 4th floor of the castle and is a copy of the Minstrels Hall of the Wartburg Castle.

Bedroom

In contrast to the other rooms, the Bedroom is sumptuously carved in the Neo-Gothic style. 14 woodcarvers are said to have worked 4 1/2 years to create this room. The Monarch's bed is crowned by the most intricate woodcarving and covered with richly Embroider draperies.

Beautiful chandeliers are seen through out the castle. 

The Paintings in the gallery:

Paintings illustrate the saga of Parsifal. 

Parsifal meets a knight's family on a crusade on Good Friday. It was the king's wish that this painting be unveiled on Good Friday 1884.  Gahmuret meets Queen Herzeloide who has proclaimed that a tournament be held, the prize for the winner being the crown and her hand in marriage. Gahmuret is victorious and marries Herzeloide. She is Parsifal's future mother. 

The kitchen is in a large hall with a vaulted ceiling supported by two massive pillars. A large free standing stove is to be found in the center of the kitchen. A built in basin for fish can be seen under the window. It has a faucet in the form of a swan's head.

Winter or Summer, NEUSCHWANSTEIN, is a great place to visit.

Neuschwanstein
Across the ocean and above the lands
Sits a legacy for all curious eyes.
An ivory castle on a lonely peak
Where even the clouds bow down
Beneath its soaring majestic spires.
It was the dream of one king not long ago
That flustered the brow of every fair maiden.
To build for beauty, hold art above war.
Dismissing tradition and logic for lies
And following a single dream to lands end.
He sat on the banks of the river Rhine
Imagining one original palace after the next.
Maybe he shopped in the Marienplatz
For velvet loveseats and porcelain swans
To adorn the seed of his hearts content.
But now the king has been gone for years.
And Bavaria has never quite been the same
Since the death of Kind Ludwig the mad.
His castles stand proud and greet the wanderers
And journeyman, and dreamers and historians alike.
Though all are rare in craft and dripping in style
One of his lonely dreams stands above the rest.
Reaching beyond the Alpine rolling skies
Coloring heaven with a touch of human royalty.
A place any Sleeping Beauty would pray to wake.
It is here, I fell in love again, twice in the time of a year.
First with the earth, its inhabitants achievements
And the very nature that hides them in its breast.
The lakes that capture the suns final rays,
The heaving mountains with their fancy caps of snow,
The whispering cow bells carried by the gentle winds
And the serenity of the painted villages sleeping below.
The second time was with a young mate
Who accompanied me to my secret place.
To cavort once the daily bustles had calmed.
He fell for the battlements I had loved before
Understood the treasures I longed to share.
He carried me up the mountain like a princess
To her new palace on the night they were wed.
He kissed me to the whimpering of waterfalls,
Then watched on as the sun sank to bed.
Blessed be whoever may fall upon this place
Tucked into the heart of the Bavarian Alps
For this is the spot where I proudly left my heart,
And left Neuschwanstein for widened eyes to behold.

    新天鹅堡始建于1869年，位于拜恩州南部小城菲森(Fuessen)近郊群峰中的一个小山峰上，是根据巴伐利亚国王路德维希二世的梦想所设计，并花费了17年时间建造而成的。城堡中洋溢着中世纪的气息，从不同的角度观看，城堡展现出变化无穷的面容。天鹅堡位于慕尼黑西南方约100公里处的山间，是德国著名的罗曼蒂克大道的终点，这似乎也说明，在现实中缔造梦幻，新天鹅堡已经做到了极致。新天鹅堡的创造者——巴伐利亚国王路德维希二世（Ludwig II）非常喜爱歌剧作曲家瓦格纳（Wagner）的作品，新天鹅堡之名便源自瓦格纳歌剧中有关天鹅骑士的故事。新天鹅堡与周围风景融为一体，在四季变迁中呈现出不同的梦幻风貌，宛如山涧中的一颗宝石。难怪人们相信创造这般仙境美景的路德维希二世就是一位天生的艺术家。就连迪斯尼公司也以新天鹅堡为蓝本建造睡美人城堡。

    新天鹅堡内部也处处体现出路德维希对奢华和唯美的追求。仅仅他那张哥特式木雕床，就让十几名木匠花了两年才完成。城堡内许多屋子都用了巴伐利亚蓝装饰，显得雍容华贵。而白天鹅纯洁美丽的优雅形象在堡中到处可见，从柱廊、壁画、帷帐、门把手、浴盆到日常用品的装饰。在路德维希二世的卧室中壁画最为著名，它是以 瓦格纳的歌剧《Tristan & Isolde》为主题而绘制的，故事讲述的是骑士Tristan奉命护送未来王后Isolde前 往国王城堡与亚瑟王完婚，但途中两人深深相爱，虽然国王后来选择原谅，但是二人还是殉情而终。画面锁住了这对生死相恋的男女和不为世俗所容的痴情，不知道 夜夜凝视这番情景的路德维希，心中是何滋味。路德维希高大英俊、气质高雅，但却对周围环绕的女性毫无兴趣，他甚至和奥地利公主Sophie解除婚约，之后终身未娶。但他和茜茜公主一直保持深厚的友谊。有人据此推测，他始终暗恋茜茜公主。

    路德维希二世是艺术的爱好者，他一生受着瓦格纳歌剧的影响，他构想了传说中曾是白雪公主居住的地方。他邀请剧院画家和舞台布置者，而不是建筑师，绘制建筑草图，并以瓦格纳创作的音乐剧《天鹅骑士》为灵感，开始修建新天鹅堡。城堡中还有专门为瓦格纳所建的豪华歌剧演唱厅，舞台布景是格林兄弟的童话故事，可惜瓦格纳在城堡落成前便过世了，但后来瓦格纳的许多歌剧都曾在此上演。

     路德维希二世在心中构思城堡的蓝图时，就已经将城堡和天然景观合而为一。梦幻的气氛、无数的天鹅图画，再加上围绕城堡四周的湖泊，沉沉的湖水，新天鹅堡确实如人间仙境。