On 16 Nov, we visited the Neuschwanstein Castle. It was very cold as the castle was located on the top of the mountain. Getting to the Castle, we could walk, take a bus or take the horse-carriage. Due to the cold weather and slippery road, we had to go by bus instead of walking up.

The Neuschwanstein Castle
Since young, King Ludwig II was a loner & kept to himself. During adolescence, he fell in love with arts & literature. He started building lots of castles. This caused him to incur heavy debts. Although he was a king, he did not interfere in the political issues as he was just a figure head. His people believed that he was eccentric & insane. His government even forced him to take medication, which worsened his condition. The Neuschwanstein Castle was the last castle he built and lived in, even though the castle was not completed. After living in the castle for 172 days, he was found dead in the swan lake. Whether it was a suicide or murder, no one knew the main cause of his death, hence it was a mystery yet to be solved.

The Concert Hall left the most impactful impression on us. This was because the King actually died just a few days after it was built. Thus, King Ludwig, never got a chance to view any performances or plays in the concert hall.
Most of the walls in the castles were covered with painted tapestries of scenes from the King’s favourite plays. Due to the King’s love for the arts and literature, there was no portrait of himself, unlike what one would expect to see in a castle.
Another interesting feature of the castle was that the door handles of the castle were higher than usual, as King Ludwig ll was 1.92m tall. The door handles were shaped like a swan, which was his favourite animal as he admires the swan for its elegance.
We felt sorry for the plight of King Ludwig II, because he was not able to choose his own destiny. As a king he is supposed to rule the country instead of being occupied with Arts & Literature. But because he indulged in his interest and love for the Arts, he was branded as an incompetent king.