Page 288 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

286  SOUTHERN GERM AN Y BA V ARIA  287

/ Schloß Neuschwanstein VISITORS’ CHECKLIST ! Hohen­
schwangau
Set amidst magnificent mountain scenery high above Practical Information
Forggensee, Alpsee and Schwansee, this fairy-tale castle was Road map D7. Schloß Neusch- Road map D7. * Schwangau 3,818.
n Schwangau, Münchenerstraße 2
built in 1869–86 for the eccentric Bavarian King Ludwig II, to wanstein. Neuschwan steinstraße (08362-819 80). Ticket service:
20. Tel (08362) 93 08 30. Open
plans by the theatre designer Christian Jank. When deciding Apr–15 Oct: 9am–6pm daily; 16 Hohenschwangau Alpseestraße 12
to build this imposing residence, the king was undoubtedly Oct–Mar: 10am–4pm daily. Closed (08362-930 830).
inspired by Wartburg Castle in Thuringia (see pp190–91), 1 Jan & 24, 25, 31 Dec. & 8 7 The skyline of Schwangau is
which he visited in 1867. The pale grey limestone castle, (limited access). 0 - = n dominated by two castles,
Ticket centre in Hohenschwangau.
which draws on a variety of historical styles, is a steep ∑ neuschwanstein.de Schloß Neuschwanstein (left)
. Singers’ Hall
30-minute walk from the nearby village of Hohenschwangau The Sängersaal was and the majestic Schloß
Hohenschwangau. The fortified
and offers spectacular views of the surrounding scenery. modelled on the singing castle that occupied this site
room of the Wartburg in the Middle Ages was remod-
castle in Eisenach. elled in 1538–47 and, in 1567,
it passed into the hands of
the Wittelsbach family. It was
destroyed during the Tyrolean
War but in 1832 the heir to the
throne (later Maximilian II)
. Castle Building ordered the ruins to be rebuilt
Schloß Neuschwanstein is the in Neo-Gothic style. The plans
archetypal fairy-tale castle and were prepared by the painter
has provided the inspiration for Domenico Quaglio; after his
countless toy models, book death, work on the castle was
illustrations and film sets. continued by the architects
Vestibule Georg Friedrich Ziebland and
The walls of the vestibule and Joseph Daniel Ohlmüller.
of other rooms in the castle are Courtyard This four-storey building,
lavishly covered with paintings The heart of the castle was standing on medieval foun-
depicting scenes from old supposed to have been a dations, is flanked by angular
German myths and legends. mighty 90-m (295-ft) high towers. The wall paintings that
tower with a Gothic decorate the rooms of the castle
castle church. It was date from 1835–36. Their icono-
never built, but in 1988 graphic content, which is based
its planned position on old Germanic sagas, is the
was marked in
white stone. work of Moritz von Schwind. A
walk around the castle provides
an excellent opportunity to
study the Wittelsbach family
history and to see the mid-19th
century furnishings. There
are magnificent views of the
surroundings from the castle’s
lovely terraced gardens.
. Throne Room
The gilded interior of the throne + Schloß Hohenschwangau
room reminds one of Byzantine Tel (08362) 930 830. Open Apr–mid-
temples and the palace church of Oct: 9am–6pm daily; mid-Oct–Mar:
All Saints (Hofkirche) in the Residenz 10am–4pm daily. Closed 24 Dec. &
(see pp220–21) in Munich. ∑ hohenschwangau.de
KEY
Dining Room
1 Study Like other rooms in the
palace, the dining room
2 Two-storey arcades surround includes fabulous
the castle courtyard. pictures, intricately carved
3 Gatehouse provided the king panels and beautifully Main entrance
with temporary accommodation decorated furniture, all
during the castle’s construction, bearing witness to the
completed in 1872. skill and artistry of the Neo-Gothic castle of Maximilian II
19th-century craftsmen. in Hohenschwangau
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp496–7 and pp519–22

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