Friday, June 11, 2010

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Built in the late 1800s, the Neuschwanstein Castle in the state of Bavaria in southeast Germany was meant to be the private retreat of the reclusive King Ludwig II of Bavaria, but he died before it was completed. The castle was opened to the public in 1886 and it has seen over 60 million visitors since then. The Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the Romanesque Revival style and was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle. The castle is one of the most popular in Europe and currently sees over 1.3 million visitors a year and as many as 6,000 per day in the summer months. The castle overlooks the Hohenschwangau valley and is near the tourist town of Fussen where accommodation can be found.