Have you ever traveled to the castle named after Disneyland after reading one of the most beautiful love stories in history, "Sleeping Beauty"?
As a child, you may have read a story about a sleeping princess who woke up from a deep sleep with a kiss from the king and dreamed of going to the Disneyland castle that inspired the story, but have you ever imagined that this castle was just an imitation of the German castle that Walt Disney was inspired to build! Have you ever!
Take a journey through time to learn more about Neuschwanstein Castle and how Walt Disney came to build it.
Neuschwanstein Castle is a fairy tale castle in the German Alps that inspired Walt Disney to create Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.
Neuschwanstein Castle Highlights
- The interior of the castle, including the drawing room, concert hall, and study, is decorated with music and poetry that fascinated its owners at the time.
- Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the main tourist attractions and is open to the public all year round.
- Neuschwanstein Castle in the German Alps is a work of art with frescoes on the walls.
- It was this art and attention to detail that inspired Walt Disney to design Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. Like Disney, the original owner of this castle is an iconic figure with a dream. He built this castle to honor his favorite works of art and poetry. Each of the castle walls tells a story of love and sorrow, victory and defeat, just like in a Disney movie.
The castle was originally built for King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the "King of Fairy Tales
After his defeat in the Austro-Prussian War, Ludwig II built this castle to hide from social circles; construction began in 1869, and he was finally able to move in ten years later.
The 65,000-square-meter palace was built for one man: Ludwig II.
Ludwig wrote to a friend at the time:
This place is a holy temple that no one can reach, because it makes you feel that you are in a holy place.
Louis II died a few weeks after moving into this palace, so that it could be opened to the public
In 1886, a few weeks after moving into the house, King Louis II was found dead in a nearby lake. Some people thought it was suicide, others thought it was murder. A few weeks later, the palace was opened to the public and became one of the most visited places in Germany.
One hundred years later, Walt Disney visited Neuschwanstein and was inspired to create Disneyland's "Sleeping Beauty" castle
Before Disneyland opened in 1955, he and his wife visited Europe and toured Neuschwanstein Castle. It was here that Disney was inspired by the "Sleeping Beauty" castle.
This castle no doubt inspired Disney
Neuschwanstein Castle offers stunning views of the German Alps.
King Ludwig built the Queen Mary Bridge to ensure that the castle's grandeur could be seen from afar
The narrow bridge at the back of the castle is dedicated to King Ludwig's mother.
But it's not only beautiful from the outside, it's also beautiful from the inside!
After Louis' death, the ground floor of the castle remained empty, preventing him from completing his dream project. However, the throne room remained on the west side of the castle, on the third and fourth floors. The king wanted the hall to resemble a Byzantine church, with a 13-foot-high chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall. An altar was to be built in this room, but the sudden death of King Louis put an end to this plan.
Ludwig designed the rooms as a smuggler's quarter rather than a palace, decorating them with eccentricities that made them look like something out of a dream
All the rooms were covered, and the elegance of the rooms is evident in the art, poetry and letters that King Ludwig favoured. According to the Bavarian palace authorities, the palace was decorated according to the following themes.
"Love, guilt, penance, redemption, kings, knights, poets and lovers".
Works of art, poems and letters from King Ludwig's favourites glitter in every room. That's why the Bavarian castle department writes that the castle is exclusively decorated.
"Love, wine, penance, salvation, kings, knights, poets and lovers".
The dining room is on the third floor and is an example of the castle's artistic decoration
The wood-paneled dining room is one of the beautiful rooms in King Ludwig's apartment on the third floor. On the walls are pictures of famous poets of the 12th and 14th centuries. On the table is a statue of bronze and metal depicting Siegfried, the German hero fighting the dragon. In addition, all the fabrics in the room are made of silk and gold.
King Ludwig's bedroom is rich in detail
The bedroom actually pays homage to the beloved opera composer Richard Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde." Their image can be seen on the far wall and in the inscription on the door. There are even ceramic sculptures of lovers on the mantelpiece. But it is the intricate new Gothic-style bed with silk bedspreads that immediately catches the eye.
The bedroom is actually dedicated to Tristan and Isolde, the lovers of the opera composer Wagner. This is clearly visible in the frescoes on the back wall and in the inscription on the door. There are also ceramic sculptures of the doomed lovers on the tiles. The new Gothic bed and silk sheets are striking.
The dressing rooms are another example of the castle's creative approach to art.
The mural at the top of the wall depicts scenes from poems by Walter von der Voglade and Hans Sachs.
But the Singers' Hall was King Ludwig's favorite project in the entire castle and was considered the most important.
The Singers' Hall occupies the entire fourth floor on the castle side. Although this room was supposed to be used for banquets and parties, it was never used. The stage at the back of the room is artfully painted and resembles the forest of trees surrounding the castle.
The castle looks just as stunning in winter as it does in summer or spring
Even if it's difficult to get to the castle in winter, it's worth going as the queues are shorter than in summer, which is the peak season.
The scenery is beautiful all year round
The castle is at the ideal time of year when the surrounding forest changes colour. Autumn is also the ideal time to visit Germany, which coincides with Oktoberfest.
From the "King of Fairy Tales" to the lifelong creator of fairy tales, Neuschwanstein Castle is well worth a visit.
Sources: thebettervacation
