"Things You Wouldn't Know If We Didn't Blog Intermittently."
20 September 2010
Neuschwanstein
Click picture for bigger, and again for biggerbigger; worth more than a thousand words. Anyone been there? Are visitors allowed to go up in the turrets? If I ever have a vacation home, I want it to have a turret.
I was there three or four times in the late 70s and early 80s. I do not recall going into the turrets. The tour was in the main building where only every other floor was furnished because Ludwig used up so much money that the whole thing could not be furnished. It is surely a beautiful sight, though. So, is the adjacent castle Hohenschwangau which was really used for living in. IMHO, Schloss Linderhof is by far and away the most beautiful of Ludwig II's palaces, and perhaps the most beautiful place to visit in all of Germany.
I was there in July 2008 and the large public tour groups (available with English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Korean tour guides) were led along a very specific route through the castle which did not include the turrets.
I agree with the above comment; I was there around 7 years ago, and the tour only takes you through a disappointing 4 or 5 chambers. Mind you, they are all very opulent, and include detailed woodwork for a four-poster bed that took years to create, and frescos on the walls in rich colours depicting scenes from Wagner operas. My favourite thing was a spiral stairwell whose central pillar continued upwards and became the trunk of a tropical tree (a palm?), with leaves spreading out and forming a canopy for the ceiling. Detailed artwork and brilliant colours!
But if you ask me, it's more trouble and money than it's worth. The 'ticket desk' is an independent separate building, kilometres from the castle. Going hiking in the surrounding area is just as breathtaking, and free :-)
Nolandda is right on. As a member of the public, the best you can do is a guided tour.
The disappointing thing is that while it looks like a medieval fairy tale, it's totally fake. It's actually a fairly modern building made to indulge King Ludwig's romantic interprtation of "olden times".
It's designed to be theatrical and is about as authentic as a Renaissance festival. To make matters worse, it's incomplete which means that if you look beyond the tour, you can see all the modern tools and scaffolding holding the place together.
The interesting fact is that Neushwanstein was Disney's inspiration for his iconic castle. So when you go to disneyland, what you're seeing is twice removed from any reality -- a fantasy of a fantasy.
It's said to be the inspiration for the Disney Cinderella Castle: like a child's idea of the ideal fairy castle. I had a jigsaw puzzle with this image that gave me many hours of pleasure poring over every detail. What an insanely out-of-control fantasy.
I was there a couple years ago. It was gorgeous and huge, and the bedrooms were fabulous. Nolandda is right- we only got to go through a few rooms. But they were amazing and brilliantly designed.
I was there in the early 80s - there wasn't a stick of furniture in the entire castle - but I think we did get into some of the turrets. The murals, I remember my impression but not the details, reminded me of the Prince Valiant comics - about the same level of artistic merit.
If you go, you're better off admiring it from the outside.
I was there in the early 80s - there wasn't a stick of furniture in the entire castle - but I think we did get into some of the turrets. The murals, I remember my impression but not the details, reminded me of the Prince Valiant comics - about the same level of artistic merit.
If you go, you're better off admiring it from the outside.
Yes, I have been there. As recently as a few weeks ago. Grew up about 15 miles south of there, near the Chiemsee. No, you aren't allowed in the turrets and many other parts are now closed off to the public as well. Wasn't always so, but with Cinderella and tourism came the precautions.
I ve worked in the Youth hostel just around the corner...i ve never seen it without beeing a construction site...its not like on the pictures. at least they forgot the millions of tourists from asia...
My parents were there in the mid '60s and took some gorgeous pics of the interior. I don't think they could go up the turrets, but there were many rooms that were beatuifully furnished - my favorite was Ludwig's bedroom and the enormous, intricatedly carved bed. I don't believe they even had a guide, just paid their money and went through on their own. If the door to a room wasn't locked or closed off, they could go in.
I was there three or four times in the late 70s and early 80s. I do not recall going into the turrets. The tour was in the main building where only every other floor was furnished because Ludwig used up so much money that the whole thing could not be furnished. It is surely a beautiful sight, though. So, is the adjacent castle Hohenschwangau which was really used for living in.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, Schloss Linderhof is by far and away the most beautiful of Ludwig II's palaces, and perhaps the most beautiful place to visit in all of Germany.
I was there in July 2008 and the large public tour groups (available with English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Korean tour guides) were led along a very specific route through the castle which did not include the turrets.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comment; I was there around 7 years ago, and the tour only takes you through a disappointing 4 or 5 chambers. Mind you, they are all very opulent, and include detailed woodwork for a four-poster bed that took years to create, and frescos on the walls in rich colours depicting scenes from Wagner operas. My favourite thing was a spiral stairwell whose central pillar continued upwards and became the trunk of a tropical tree (a palm?), with leaves spreading out and forming a canopy for the ceiling. Detailed artwork and brilliant colours!
ReplyDeleteBut if you ask me, it's more trouble and money than it's worth. The 'ticket desk' is an independent separate building, kilometres from the castle. Going hiking in the surrounding area is just as breathtaking, and free :-)
ah yes... Ludwig II.
ReplyDeleteMad as a hatter but a fine eye for real estate.
Nolandda is right on. As a member of the public, the best you can do is a guided tour.
ReplyDeleteThe disappointing thing is that while it looks like a medieval fairy tale, it's totally fake. It's actually a fairly modern building made to indulge King Ludwig's romantic interprtation of "olden times".
It's designed to be theatrical and is about as authentic as a Renaissance festival. To make matters worse, it's incomplete which means that if you look beyond the tour, you can see all the modern tools and scaffolding holding the place together.
The interesting fact is that Neushwanstein was Disney's inspiration for his iconic castle. So when you go to disneyland, what you're seeing is twice removed from any reality -- a fantasy of a fantasy.
http://allgaeu-cam.de/wetter/schloss-neuschwanstein.html
ReplyDeleteIt's said to be the inspiration for the Disney Cinderella Castle: like a child's idea of the ideal fairy castle. I had a jigsaw puzzle with this image that gave me many hours of pleasure poring over every detail. What an insanely out-of-control fantasy.
ReplyDeleteI was there a couple years ago. It was gorgeous and huge, and the bedrooms were fabulous. Nolandda is right- we only got to go through a few rooms. But they were amazing and brilliantly designed.
ReplyDeleteI was there in the early 80s - there wasn't a stick of furniture in the entire castle - but I think we did get into some of the turrets. The murals, I remember my impression but not the details, reminded me of the Prince Valiant comics - about the same level of artistic merit.
ReplyDeleteIf you go, you're better off admiring it from the outside.
I was there in the early 80s - there wasn't a stick of furniture in the entire castle - but I think we did get into some of the turrets. The murals, I remember my impression but not the details, reminded me of the Prince Valiant comics - about the same level of artistic merit.
ReplyDeleteIf you go, you're better off admiring it from the outside.
Yes, I have been there. As recently as a few weeks ago. Grew up about 15 miles south of there, near the Chiemsee. No, you aren't allowed in the turrets and many other parts are now closed off to the public as well. Wasn't always so, but with Cinderella and tourism came the precautions.
ReplyDeleteI ve worked in the Youth hostel just around the corner...i ve never seen it without beeing a construction site...its not like on the pictures. at least they forgot the millions of tourists from asia...
ReplyDeleteI've been there. Hihenschwangau, which is only a few minutes away, is a lot prettier and you get to see more of the castle's interior.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were there in the mid '60s and took some gorgeous pics of the interior. I don't think they could go up the turrets, but there were many rooms that were beatuifully furnished - my favorite was Ludwig's bedroom and the enormous, intricatedly carved bed. I don't believe they even had a guide, just paid their money and went through on their own. If the door to a room wasn't locked or closed off, they could go in.
ReplyDelete