Ludwig’s eccentric fantasy castle 🏰🧚‍♂️

Having hiked for the view for Thom earlier today, my time slot for a ‘guided tour’ of the palace itself came time this afternoon. Like a human conveyor belt every 5minutes, groups of about 30 scanned through the turnstile to start their tour of the palace. Each issued with an audio guide on entry our guide merely ushered us from room to room activating the guide for each room and ensuring no one lingers too long or take any photographs.

Ludwig’s dream castle is part former solo royal residence and part fantasy project of the king that was later deemed mentally unfit and stripped of the title (and died the next day - ironic - don’t you think?). He took parts of palaces and castles he liked and replicated them together here, with the copies often being larger than the original. It seemed he was trying to relive the medieval era in a time when that way of life was become more light.

Like Ludwig before him, Walt Disney also saw things he liked in the world and adapted them to his desires. Neuschwanstein Castle is one of those Walt used for inspiration for one of the most recognisable castles in the world in Disneyland. Unlike Disney, Ludwig was a shy isolated man who didn’t want people in his palace. Now on a summer day 6,000 people pass through. I doubt he would be pleased.

While I liked seeing the eccentric mixes of styles, including a fake grotto leading off his dressing room, I felt a little like cattle being herded through as quickly as possible. Maybe I’m like Ludwig and just want a castle to myself (only child bon sharing syndrome coming through there). It is however spectacular from the outside - which is all the photos you’ll see as photography was banned inside (and unlike the Germans in Spain who fragrantly broke that rule, here they all strictly abide!).Read more