In the hamlet of Schwangau in southern Germany sits this crazy castle. Conceived and constructed by King Ludwig the II, it was not finished in his lifetime. He was eccentric and so is his castle. Perhaps it is as well known around the world as it is because it is believed that Walt Disney fashioned his Disneyland castles after this folly.

I took a day trip from Munich to view this landmark and it was well worth the trip. Ludwig II was a dreamer, and spent his days lost in literature and a fantasy world of his own creation. He was a major patron of Richard Wagner and employed the composer’s set decorator to help him design this castle, both inside and out.

Visitors are not allowed to photograph the interior, but if you are interested, you can find lots of pictures on the internet. The thing that most impressed me is that this castle was built in the 2nd half of the 19th century, using steel girders and brick construction. A steam powered crane was on site to help facilitate the building process and tragically about 30 builders lost their lives in the construction of this faux castle built upon an alpine crag.

As we all know, castles were fortified buildings, used to protect the elite while simultaneously allowing their armed forces to detect the approach of any encroachers. When Ludwig built this fortification, the telephone had been invented (and was installed in the castle), which was a more efficient and effective means of detecting approaching danger.

The castle as seen today isn’t finished to Ludwig’s specifications. There would have been an enormously tall keep in the center, which was not completed. The building, for all its size, has only one bedroom. That for the eccentric king. He spent fewer than 150 days and nights in his last castle.

Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886), who was also known as the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King (der Märchenkönig), was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Franconia, and Duke in Swabia. Outside Germany, he is at times called “the Mad King” or Mad King Ludwig.

Ludwig ascended to the throne in 1864 at the age of 18 but increasingly withdrew from day-to-day affairs of state in favor of extravagant artistic and architectural projects. He commissioned the construction of lavish palaces: Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace, and Herrenchiemsee. He was also a devoted patron of the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig spent all his own private royal revenues (although not state funds as is commonly thought) on these projects, borrowed extensively, and defied all attempts by his ministers to restrain him. This extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation that has since come under scrutiny.

For all of its eccentricities, the building is completely understandable as a model for Walt Disney. Look at those almost comical faces attached to the corbels below.

The main approach to the castle today is from the rear. In the picture above and below, we see the actual front facade of the building, which is in red brick.

And what, you might ask, was the view from the front of the castle? One turns around and sees this:

Wow. Crazy and a tourist trap. Glad I saw it though!