Neuschwanstein castle looks like it is out of a fairytale.

Hi Divas ,

Trying To Plan A Vacation For Spring Recess,

Fussen Germany , a small town of 15,000 is located at the foot of the Bavarian Alps.It is a popular tourist destination because of its amazing vistas and historic attractions, and nearby are the famous castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. Only 3 miles from the Austrian boarder, and at 2,650 feet above sea level it is the highest town in Bavaria.The River Lech, originating in Austria, flows through Fussen further adding to its charm. The Romantic Road, a medieval trade route retaining much of its medieval character as it runs across the countryside featuring beautiful old walled towns, gorgeous meadows, and picturesque villages ends in Fussen.  Fussen was a Roman settlement on the Via Claudia Augusta, a road leading southward to northern Italy and northward to Augsburg. The “Hohes Schloss” (High Castle), one of Bavaria’s largest and best preserved late Gothic castles is Füssen’s landmark.

Two grand castles are within a short distance of Fussen the first is Schloss Hohenschwangau (“Castle of the High Swan Country”). The location of Hohenschwangau was originally a fortress called Schwanstein that by the beginning of the 19th century had been abandoned and fallen into ruin. Crown Prince Maximilian (later King Maximilian II of Bavaria) charmed by the beauty of landscape commissioned the construction of a castle that served as a summer residence and the future Kings Ludwig II and Otto I spent many years there as children.

When King Maximilian died in 1864 Ludwig succeeded to the throne and lived in Hohenschwangau, especially after 1869 when the building of his own castle, Neuschwanstein, began very nearby. Fortunately the castle did not suffer any damage during World War I and II and today hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Hohenschwangau each year.
The second castle and more famous of the two is New Swan Stone Castle, or Neuschwanstein.With its spiraling towers and brilliant walls, this castle looks like it is out of a fairytale. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as homage to Richard Wagner. Ludwig ordered construction on the great building in 1869, but it was never completely finished. The King was a tremendous fan of Richard Wagner and the castle was named after the Swan Knight in Wagner’s opera. Ludwig’s love of the composer is evident as you walk through Neuschwanstein’s luxurious passageways, many paintings hang on the walls that depict scenes from Wagner’s operas.In the 19th century many castles were constructed or reconstructed, often with significant changes to make them more picturesque.None however have achieved the fame of Neuschwanstein, which attracts more than 1.3 million people visit annually.