Only about 20 miles from Neuschwanstein Castle you find the Neuschwanstein Manor. Surrounded by trees and by a small stream that carries wonderful clear water, is your co-owned property that will make you a count or countess.
Feel free to come and visit your country estate.
Enter the following at Google: 47°40’38.0″N 10°25’04.6″E (or click here), then click on “Maps” and you will get the exact location, as well as some pictures. You are welcome to camp, walk, bird and wildlife watch or just picnic on your co-owned property.
We also have some pictures for you
Castle Neuschwanstein
History of origins
Ludwig II, King of Bavaria since 1864, addressed the following lines to Richard Wagner, whom he admired, in May 1868:
“I intend to have the old ruins of Hohenschwangau Castle near the Pöllat Gorge rebuilt in the genuine style of the old German knight’s castles, and must confess to you that I am very much looking forward to living there one day (in 3 years); several guest rooms, from where one enjoys a magnificent view of the noble Säuling, the mountains of Tyrol and far into the plain, are to be furnished there in a homely and cozy manner; You know Him, the adored guest, whom I would like to accommodate there; the spot is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend, through whom only salvation and true blessing of the world blossomed. You will also find reminiscences from ‘Tannhäuser’ (singers’ hall with a view of the castle in the background), from ‘Lohengrin’ (castle courtyard, open corridor, path to the chapel); in every respect, this castle will be more beautiful and homely than the lower Hohenschwangau, which is desecrated annually by my mother’s prose; they will take revenge, the desecrated gods, and dwell above with us on steep heights, wafted by heavenly air.“
Almost all aspects of his Neuschwanstein are mentioned here. However, the political trigger remained unmentioned: in 1866, Bavaria had lost a war against the expanding Prussia in alliance with Austria. A “protection and defence alliance” was imposed on Bavaria, which deprived the king of the disposal of his army in the event of war. Thus, Ludwig II was no longer a sovereign ruler since 1866. This restriction was the greatest misfortune of his life. In 1867, he began planning his own realm in which he could feel and move as a real king: his castles.
“More beautiful and more homely than the lower Hohenschwangau”.
Ludwig II spent his childhood at Hohenschwangau Castle. Crown Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria, Ludwig’s father, had the dilapidated Hohenschwangau Castle restored in the “Gothic style” starting in 1832. The romantic mountain landscape left its mark on the young Ludwig, who chose the summer palace as one of his favorite places to stay. Hohenschwangau was painted with scenes from medieval legends and poems, including that of the swan knight Lohengrin. Even in his youth, Ludwig identified with the Lohengrin to whom Richard Wagner had dedicated a romantic opera in 1850. The swan was also the heraldic animal of the Counts of Schwangau, as whose successor the king saw himself. Maximilian II had already elevated the swan to a leitmotif of Hohenschwangau. Thus idealistic medieval veneration was combined here with concrete local tradition.
“The point is one of the most beautiful to be found”.
Maximilian II had already had paths and vantage points laid out in the vicinity of Hohenschwangau so that he could enjoy the landscape. As a birthday present for his mountain-climbing wife Marie, he had the “Marienbrücke” (Mary’s Bridge) built high above the Pöllat Gorge in the 1840s. From the narrow ridge on the left of the Pöllat, called “Jugend”, there was a unique view of mountains and lakes. Maximilian II loved this place and planned a viewing pavilion there in 1855. Crown Prince Ludwig had often been to the “Jugend”.
“In the real style of the old German knight’s castles”.
On the “Jugend” lay the remains of two small castles: Vorder- and Hinterhohenschwangau. Here Ludwig II planned his “New Castle Hohenschwangau” (the name “Neuschwanstein” came into being only after the king’s death). It was supposed to give a better illusion of an ideal medieval castle than Hohenschwangau. The decisive factor here was the idea of completion: The “reconstruction” was to be purer in style and equipped with all modern technical achievements.
In 1867, Ludwig II visited the newly “rebuilt” Wartburg. There, he was particularly impressed by the Singers’ Hall, supposedly the site of the legendary “Singers’ War”. The Wartburg and its hall became leitmotifs of the “New Castle”. In addition, the architect Eduard Riedel had to process ideas from stage sets developed by the Munich theater painter Christian Jank.
“To dwell there once (in 3 years)”.
Expectations of rapid construction progress were not fulfilled. The project was too extensive and the construction site on the mountain was difficult. Stage designers, architects and artisans ensured that the king’s precise ideas were implemented. His ruthless deadlines could sometimes only be met with desperate day and night work.
The foundation stone for the “New Castle” was laid on September 5, 1869, and the first building to be completed was the gatehouse in 1873, where Ludwig II lived for many years. It was not until 1880 that the topping-out ceremony was held for the Palas, which was ready for occupation in 1884. As his aversion to people progressed and his claim to the royal dignity grew, Ludwig II changed the building program. Instead of the guest rooms once planned, a “Moorish Hall” with a fountain was planned but never built. The “Writing Room” became a small grotto from 1880. The modest “Audience Room” was transformed into a huge throne room. This was no longer intended for audiences, but as a monument to royalty and an image of the legendary Grail Hall. In order to fit this hall into the already built palace, ultra-modern steel constructions were needed. A “knight’s bath” was to be built into the western part of the palace as a reminiscence of the ritual bath of the Grail knights. Today, a visitor staircase leads down to the exit.
