Undoubtedly, the most well known castle in Germany is Neuschwanstein, (pronounced nye schwan stein) built in the 1800’s by King Ludwig II. It is the castle that the Cinderella castle in Disney World is modeled after. It is majestic, opulent, massive, and all of the plans were never finished. The interesting truth is that King Ludwig, born into wealthy nobility, loved the arts, music, and everything French at that time. He designed and built a number of castles, and lavish summer

retreats. He promoted art, and music, but according to record, was not a particularly effective ruler. His death is still considered unsolved, and mysterious, but common conjecture is that his political circle wanted an end to the extravagant draining of the treasury for his luxurious, ambitious personal surroundings. Neuschwanstein is in Bavaria, surrounded by the nearby Alps, and pristine lakes.

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JULY 2018