Fairytale-esque Schloss Neuschwanstein (Neuschwanstein Castle), nestled on the north fringes of the Bavarian Alps, shapes a trademark of Germany and is without a doubt one of the most famed and photographed castles worldwide.

The Romanesque Revival edifice perches on a rugged hill over Hohenschwangau (west/northwest), a former village integrated into the municipality of Schwangau nowadays, in the region of Swabia in southern Bavaria on the border with Austria (south).

Its name translates as ‘New Swan Stone/Rock’ and surfaced on account of the original medieval Schwanstein Castle that lay below which was obtained in ruins by Maximilian II, King of Bavaria, to raise his neo-Gothic palace of Schloss Hohenschwangau in place by means of summer residence, virtually completed in 1837.

His eldest son and heir King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845 – 1886) spent much of his childhood there and was fond of the location so when he came to power in 1864 he opted to commission a new palace himself as a retreat from the constraints of public life and affairs, as well as in honour of renowned classical composer Richard Wagner whom he admired greatly.

On the rugged hill overlooking his father’s summer palace stood a further two ruined medieval castles, Vorderhohenschwangau and Hinterhohenschwangau, that Ludwig would often visit as a child on excursions so picked this spot for his own resort.

Construction of the new schloss, drafted by stage engineer Christian Jank in order to bear a flair of opera and the middle ages, eventually commenced in September 1869 under architect Eduard Riedel but the project had to take many twists and turns on the way on account of either the configuration of the location or Ludwig’s own boundless ambition.

Eventually, the Bavarian king was able to move in the yet unfinished Palas only in 1884, with Julius Hofmann assigned as a third architect in charge following a ten-year stint by Georg von Dollmann, and could invite his mother Marie on the occasion of her 60th birthday a year on with exterior works still in progress.

To his credit, Ludwig funded his large project all these long years out of his own fortune and finances as well as sizeable loans rather than draw on public Bavarian funds. Even as many as 300 craftsmen and workers would be occupied at the same time on the spot many times drawing deep into the night at the light of oil lamps.

Unfortunately, he never lived to see the completion of his masterpiece as he was taken under custody, deposed, and died along with his doctor under mysterious circumstances in mid June 1886 while the schloss itself was opened to the public just weeks later at the order of Prince Regent Luitpolt.

The current name of the castle, Neuschwanstein, came along only after the death of Ludwig who employed himself that of Neuhohenschwangau Schloss thereto during his reign and later life.

The Hall of the Singers

Decorated with themes from Lohengrin, Tannhäuser and Parzival, the captivating Hall of the Singers shapes the largest room across the entire Palas as it measures no less than a good 27 x 10m (89 x 33 ft) occupying the entire fourth floor, above the king’s lodgings, of the eastern wing.

In essence, the room was never meant for large banquets or music performances but rather as an accolade to the knights and legends of Ludwig’s beloved era of the Middle Ages, a favourite project of his.