Interesting facts about Neuschwanstein Castle

neuschwanstein castle

Neuschwanstein Castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He was also known as the “Fairytale King”. This castle is a great representation of what a fairytale castle would look like, complete with beautiful views of the Bavarian Alps.

Neuschwanstein means “New Swan Stone”. The name of the castle derives from one of Wagner’s opera’s character, the Swan Knight.

Despite its medieval look, it was built in the 19th century, and it served no defensive purposes.

While there is a magnificent throne room, there is no actual throne since it was not completed before Ludwig’s death.
throne hall neuschwanstein castle

Ludiwg slept only 11 nights in the castle.

The designer of the castle was Christian Jank. He was not even an architect but a theatrical designer.

Fourteen carpenters worked for more than 4 years to make the woodwork in the bedroom.
neuschwanstein castle bedroom

The Throne Room of the castle, created as the Grail-Hall of Parsifal, has been designed as per Byzantine style. Inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul), the throne room is 2-storied and is adorned with pillars of imitation porphyry and lapis lazuli.

neuschwanstein castle interior

The paintings are a high point for many visitors to the castle. Numerous paintings adorn the walls, many of which were inspired by the Gothic epics of Wagner’s operas.

The castle was one of the finalists in the selection of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

One of the most interesting of the Neuschwanstein Castle facts is that this beautiful storybook looking castle inspired the Walt Disney Magic Kingdom Sleeping Beauty Castle.

The Legoland in Günzburg features a Lego replica of Neuschwanstein. Neuschwanstein Castle has been rebuilt from more than 300,000 LEGO® bricks.

neuschwanstein castle lego replica

In 2012, the Neuschwanstein Castle appeared on a €2 commemorative coin.

The castle was one of the finalists in the selection of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ and ‘The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm’ are amongst the movies in which the Neuschwanstein Castle has been featured.

Today, the castle is owned by the state of Bavaria and more than 14.5 million euros is spent annually on its maintenance.

Neuschwanstein is the most photographed building in the country and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany.

Approximately 1.3 million visitors travel to the fairy-tale palace in southern Bavaria every year.