Who’s the King of the Castle?

Breakfast in our B&B
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In Bavaria his name would be Ludwig II. And his castles would be called Hohenschwangau, Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof, and, the most famous of all, Neuschwanstein. We saw them all. Linderhof is the smallest but the most ornate. Built in the Baroque and Rococco styles it is like someone who was trying to decorate a wedding cake and didn’t know when to stop. He used 10 lbs. of gold leaf per room. Kathy noted that it didn’t even have a guest room because he wanted to be there alone. And the dining room table was only large enough for one person. The table also had another feature. It had a trap door under it so, like a dumbwaiter, it could be filled with food in the lower kitchen and then raised right into his dining room. The Palace sat on 200 acres which also contained a man-made cave which he called the Venus Grotto. It was complete with stalagmites and stalactites which were lit up by electric lights which he installed only in this cave. On one large wall of the cave he had a giant mural painted displaying a scene whose inspiration came from several of Wagner’s operas. Here he would come and enjoy listening to the music of Wagner as he sat on a special throne. There is a reason he was referred to as “Mad” King Ludwig. In fact, he was declared insane and removed from power. Two days later his body was found in a lake near Munich. Kathy isn’t convinced he was insane—just different.

Hohenschwangau--where Ludwig grew up
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We came into the Fussen area for the sole purpose of seeing these fabulous structures. We stayed three nights in a Bavarian B & B almost under the shadow of Neuschwanstein Castle. On Thursday, July 19, our day began by standing in line to get tickets to enter the two local castles. Hohenschwangau castle was first. It is the more modest of the two and the one built by Ludwig’s father Maximillian. It was certainly a proper dwelling place for a king: roomy, imposing but not too ornate. Growing up in this place which he came to know very well, Prince Ludwig had his eye on a high rocky hill upon which he would eventually build his magnum opus—Neuschwanstein.

Kathy isn't convinced he was insane--just different.

Linderhof--the most ornate
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For 17 years the castle was under construction and Ludwig moved in when his royal apartments were finished. He lived in it for only 170 days before his untimely death at 40. As soon as news arrived of the king’s death all work on the castle stopped and to this day it remains unfinished. The people of Bavaria certainly did not enjoy the heavy taxation that made Ludwig’s building projects possible. They considered them wasteful. But, believe me, I am sure that by now, with the hundreds of thousands of people who visit these castles every year at a cost of nearly $10 a visit, they have more than paid them all off.

Neuschwanstein--Ludwig's Magnum Opus
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By the way, we are trying to add some of our pictures as we go. Some of those have been inserted back into our earlier entries. We apologize for not being able to do more with this wonderful tool. But fitting our access to internet cafés into our busy schedule has not been easy and few of our hotels provide internet access. But stay with us and we will eventually bring you up to date.