Castles in Bavaria madness

The Sleeping Beauty Castle found inspiration in the German Neuschwanstein, but not the only one in which King Ludwig II squandered all his fantasy. Join our route on the strengths of story hidden in the lush forests of Bavaria.

 The castles of Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee, Hohenschwangau and Berg are film. Thus conceived Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as "Mad King". Which, according to some biographies, was a schizophrenic king and tormented by his homosexuality and became Wagner's patron, turned on all these strengths opulent fantasy. This route that weaves approach allows not only the figure of the king, but also of the German composer.

The Linderhof is the most personal and intimate of the castles of King Loco. Built on the former hunting lodge of his father, Maximilian II, is a rococo fantasy tries to emulate the splendor of the Bourbons. Inside, lapis lazuli and malachite tables, rugs, ostrich feathers, ivory candlesticks give an idea of ​​their waste. Even more, the gardens, strolling by the Empress Elizabeth and in which the king commanded to place a kiosk and bought a Moorish house in the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867. But what really makes a splash in Linderhof is the Venus Grotto, an unusual iron cave lined with stalactites, stalagmites and artificial waterfalls that evokes echoes evenings between Wagnerian excess.
 The same year he began restoring Ludwig II Linderhof, 1869, work began on the most famous of his 'delusions' architecture: the palace of Neuschwanstein, one of the most visited in Europe and where the king took up residence. It is a reinvention of the strengths historicist feudal Middle Ages, with turrets, gables and drawbridges that inspired the castle of Sleeping Beauty by Walt Disney. The interior testifies to the passion he felt for Richard Wagner. The drunken spider prisms, velvet, gold, silks and mosaics that decorate the world winding short, thick and maddening the king. Abroad should not miss outside view from the bridge of Santa Maria, where the silhouette looks lonely castle, surrounded by beech and chestnut and sometimes melancholy wrapped in a fog.

The site Herrenchiemsee Palace, where King dreamed of shutting out the world, is equally evocative. Situated on an island in the Chiemsee lake, this castle is the obsession of Louis II of Versailles. Everything is upscale, cost more than Neuschwanstein and Linderhof together, even without coming to an end, and the highlight of it is the Great Hall of Mirrors, 100 meters. In this palace you can explore more in the life of the monarch through a museum that collects paintings, busts, photographs and clothing, as the coronation robe.
 Those that were not designed by the king, although they are linked to their figure and well worth a visit are the Hohenschwangau and Berg. The first, built by his father on the old fortress of Schwanstein, the twelfth century, was the residence of Ludwig during adolescence. The second is the scene of his death. Ludwig II was forcibly transferred to the castle of Berg, a little further, on the border of Luxembourg, after doctors declared him unfit to govern by reason of insanity. Shortly after found drowned in the nearby lake with his psychiatrist.
PRACTICAL GUIDE
DirectionsTo Munich, capital of Bavaria, companies fly Lufthansa, Iberia and Air Berlin. Franz Josef Strauss Airport, 40 kilometers, is attached to the city by the lines S1 and S8 commuter train.
When to GoIn summer, the weather is very pleasant, although there are many tourists, especially in Neuschwanstein.
Getting aroundBest to visit Bavaria is the car. The major car rental companies are at the Munich airport.
Where to StayNear Linderhof, in the monastery of Ettal, the fourteenth century, in addition to knowing the secrets of brewing abbey, you can sleep in his luxury hotel. The Linderhof French restaurant, located next to the palace, is a good choice to eat, whether or not the host. Another castle-hotel for the night is to Colmberg, 40 kilometers from Linderhof. It is a medieval building which also serves fine dining. Very close to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau is the hotel spa Ruebezahl, overlooking the castle.
The routeMore information about the route of the castles of Ludwig II in www.schloesser.bayern.de. In Neuschwanstein is advisable to buy tickets in advance because the queues. Linderhof Gardens closed in winter. On the island of Herrenchiemsee you can hire a carriage. These historicist castles, medieval taste, are also Romantic stop on the route, which runs through the region along the River Main, the wine lands of Franconia and the peaks of the Alps.
Do not miss ...Visit Füssen, a picturesque and romantic city which was the scene of the shooting of The Great Escape. Spending a few days in Munich, capital of Bavaria, especially during the Oktoberfest beer festival held in October. And close to the city of Bayreuth, where the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, an opera house built by Ludwig II to represent the works of Wagner which now houses the famous German festival dedicated to the composer.