King Ludwig Castle - Germany

By Laurel Robbins

Neuschwanstein Castle is Germany’s most famous castle, but you probably recognize it as belonging to Sleeping Beauty. In the real world, the fairytale centerpiece of the Disneyland theme park was inspired by the home of Bavarian monarch King Ludwig II. He wasn’t a cartoon, but he was definitely cartoonish.

If this magical castle looks familiar, it might be because it was the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Part of the charm of his 19th-century Romanesque Revival manse is its location. Situated high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the German village of Hohenschwangau and the alpine foothills, it’s breathtaking. But after you get an eyeful of the view, the castle gets even more interesting. Here are a few secrets behind the famous façade and its unusual owner:

1. King Ludwig II was…creative.

Or more to the point, eccentric. Some would even say mad. According to legend, he told his governess, “I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others.” As a boy he had a vivid imagination and later was such a big fan of German composer Richard Wagner that he created his own opera festival. More eccentrically, he lived nocturnally, dressed up in historic costume to go riding around the mountains in fancy sleighs, and identified with Parzival, the knight who found the Holy Grail. He developed his own fantasy world, and Schloss Neuschwanstein was the fantasy made real: The castle was designed in a mix of Roman, Gothic, and Byzantine styles all randomly blended together — and its throne room is designed as the Hall of the Holy Grail. The overall effect is highly stylistic, over-the-top, and unique.

Ludwig was terrible with money.

The king’s taste didn’t come cheap, and in 1885, with just 15 of the 200 rooms complete, he found himself 14 million German marks in debt (about $8 million today). A year later, his government declared him insane and deemed him incapable of ruling.

King Ludwig was a bit of an odd duck who met his untimely demise after being declared insane by the Bavarian Government. (Photo: Photo12/UIG via Getty Images)

The day after King Ludwig was declared insane, he died mysteriously in the shallow waters of Lake Starnberg — despite being an excellent swimmer.  The shrink who diagnosed him was killed too.

The castle opened to the public to make back the money he blew.

While Neuschwanstein Castle was a financial burden to King Ludwig, it was opened to visitors just seven weeks after his death and became an incredibly lucrative source of income for the House of Wittelsbach, who, nevertheless, didn’t last much longer as the rulers of Bavaria.

5. The castle was supposed to be private.

Neuschwanstein was meant to be a private retreat for the king. Today it’s visited by 1.3 million people each year. Ironic, don’t ya think?

6. To get the best views, you have to leave the castle