Schloss Hohenschwangau, Germany

A Castle that Inspired Schloss Neuschwanstein in Schwangau, Germany

Dec 20, 2007

King Maximilian's Schloss Hohenschwangau in Schwangau near Füssen, southern Germany, inspired Bavarian King Ludwig II to build the fairy tale Neuschwanstein Castle.

Schloss Hohenschwangau is a neo-Gothic, 19th-century castle built by Bavarian King Maximilian II during the 1830s. It is in the outskirts of the small town Schwangau near Füssen in southern Germany and generally draws fewer visitors than the famous Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria

Bavarian Crown Prince Maximilian discovered the ruins of Schloss Hohenschwangau in the outskirts of the small village Schwangau in his late teens and promptly bought the property. He was drawn to the region for its stunning natural beauty. The Tyrolean Alps formed the natural border with Austria with marvelous views from the mountains of the Bavarian Lech Valley. Thick forests here made ideal hunting grounds. The small Lake Alpsee added further natural beauty – the much larger Lake Forggernsee was only dammed in the 20th century.

The Neo-Gothic Schloss Hohenschwangau Castle

Between 1833 and 1837, Maximilian had the Hohenschwangau ruins restored as a romantic, neo-Gothic castle. He used Domenico Quaglio, a trained architect and theater designer, as building master with this theatrical combination of fantasy and functional building as result.

The interior has just less than hundred wall painting featuring romantic scenes from German sagas. Lohengrin, a knight from the illustrious Swan Order and later leading character in Wagner’s similarly named opera, features prominently. Maximilian used swans frequently in the decoration of his castle as a link to the heraldic symbol of the counts of Schwangau.

Several reception rooms as well as royal bedrooms are seen during the castle tour. The Biedermeier furniture is authentic.

Maximilian and his wife, Princess Marie of Prussia, spent many happy summers here. He loved to hunt while she liked mountain hikes and fishing. In short, this area has been as versatile a tourism region then as it is now. The court brought glamour to this part of the Bavaria and contributed to the local economy in the same way modern tourists visiting the fantasy castles do now.

In contrast to Ludwig II, who grew increasingly antisocial as an adult, his parents loved to entertain and had lavish parties in Schloss Hohenschwangau. The Knights’ Hall occupied the full breadth of the castle and was often used. In contrast, the Singers’ Hall in Neuschwanstein Castle was used for concerts only six decades after Ludwig’s death.

Schloss Hohenschwangau and Ludwig II

The later King Ludwig II spent many happy childhood summers with his parents at Schloss Hohenschwangau. Ludwig had a romantic, nostalgic disposition from an early age and was no doubt influenced by what he saw between and on the walls of Schloss Hohenschwangau.

Ludwig first met Richard Wagner in Schloss Hohenschwangau. The two formed a close friendship with the King sponsoring many of Wagner’s projects from his monumental operas to his purposely-built Festpielhaus (Festival Opera House) in Bayreuth.

Ludwig was as enchanted with the natural beauty of the Schwangau area as his parents had been. Although he loved Hohenschwangau, he wanted to do even better with a more impressive and spectacular building – the result was the hugely popular Disney-like Schloss Neuschwanstein.

More Information:

The copyright of the article Schloss Hohenschwangau, Germany in Germany Travel is owned by Henk Bekker. Permission to republish Schloss Hohenschwangau, Germany in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.