- Type
- Palace / château
- Built
- 1833 · 19th century
- Style
- Gothic Revival
- Commissioned by
- Maximilian II of Bavaria
- Architect
- Domenico Quaglio the Younger
- Coordinates
- 47.5556°, 10.7360°
History
The hill was once crowned by the medieval castle of Schwanstein, which lay in ruins by the early 19th century. In 1832 Crown Prince Maximilian, later King Maximilian II of Bavaria, bought it and in 1833–1837 rebuilt it in neo-Gothic style to designs by Domenico Quaglio. The interiors were painted with the legend of Lohengrin, the Swan Knight, and scenes from Bavarian history. The castle became the royal family's summer residence, and the future King Ludwig II spent his childhood here, later entertaining Richard Wagner within its walls. It was opened to visitors in the early 20th century.
What to see
Guided tours lead through rooms with the royal family's original 19th-century furnishings and wall paintings of medieval legends. One room contains a piano that Wagner used to play. The castle and its gardens look out over the Alpsee and, across the valley, Neuschwanstein on its rocky crag.
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