Snow and Storybook Castles

It was snowing as I left Munich and headed for the Alps. I was pretty surprised, since it was April. Major snow storms are breaking news in Texas, and they never happen in April. But apparently when you are in the Alps, snow in April is a pretty normal occurrence. The earlier windstorm had blown a lot of branches down though, so all the trains were stopped. No fear, alternative buses were running. My bus journey from Munich was foreshadowing of what was to come.

This leg of my trip was dedicated to exploring the castles of Mad King Ludwig II. Ultimately I was headed to Füssen and Hohenschwangau to see what might just be the most famous castle in the world, Neuschwanstein. But along the way I stopped to see Linderhof as well. 

Linderhof was the only castle that King Ludwig II was able to finish. Completed in 1878, it mixes baroque and rococo styles to create a stunning villa. The palace itself is small, with only about 11 rooms. But every room is overwhelming. I’m not really sure how so much ornamentation was crammed into one place. If it weren’t so beautiful, it would honestly be a bit tacky.

Me, in the snow outside, Linderhof

I wish I could include pictures of the rooms, but of course, photography was prohibited. There is a nice virtual tour on the palace website, however, and I encourage you to check it out if you’re interested.

King Ludwig II was a constitutional monarch, but he longed for absolute power. His worldview was based around being a ruler with God-given authority over his people. Instead of facing reality he retreated into a fantasy world. At Linderhof he did this by creating a palace modeled after the world of the French Sun King, Louis XV, one of his idols. He even had a bedchamber built so that he could hold meetings while getting dressed, but never did. In fact, he was a bit of a nocturnal recluse. Not exactly what you think of when picturing a powerful king.

In front of the palace

Linderhof was a peek into Ludwig II’s over-the-top delusions, but there was much more to come.

The snow that day meant the park at Linderhof was closed. This was a disappointment, since the grounds are said to be extensive and beautiful. Buildings in the park are all themed. Some are Wagner opera sets, or based off of Middle Eastern designs. I think Linderhof is somewhere I will have to revisit in the summertime.

The fountain out front

A bit of the grounds

Most of the rest of my day was taken up with buses. It took me six buses in total to get from Munich to Füssen, my resting place for the night. At one point I got dropped by the side of the road and told that a bus would come in an hour and a half.

My heart-sinking feelings were lessened when I saw a cafe at this remote bus stop. I quickly dragged myself and my bags inside. The cafe was so cozy, with a real wood-stoked fire and a colorful collection of locals. Eventually, they asked what I was doing there, in thick Bairische (Bavarian dialect). I explained my bus situation. They were very helpful, watching for my bus with me. And they assured me that the buses in this part of the country don’t stop running when snow starts to fall thick and fast. At last the bus came, and a long day ended with me collapsing onto my hostel bed.
 

Life-saving cafe

The snow had stopped falling and the sun was shining when I woke up. One of my hostel roommates and I had decided to spend the morning exploring the town. As we walked around I could see the sun glinting off the snow-covered mountaintops. It was so beautiful; I forgave it for my cold, wet adventure the day before.

Snow is prettier in the sun

Füssen

 My new friend had to catch her train, so I set off for Hohenschwangau. After the bus drops you into the tourist area of Hohenschwangau, you go to the ticket center. I had to stand in line for about an hour, but I was so excited that I really didn’t mind. If you want to visit in the busy, summer months, however, I suggest that you take advantage of the ability to reserve tickets ahead of time.

 I got my first glimpse of Neuschwanstein while in line.

 The Hohenschwangau area is actually home to two castles. Everyone comes to see Neuschwanstein, but Schloss Hohenschwangau is not to be missed either. King Maximilian II, father of King Ludwig II, built it over medieval ruins in 1836.  The castle is known as a jewel of German Romanticism, and is decorated with depictions of medieval knights and legends. There are many frescos on the walls. They look like restorations, but are actually original. Their bright coloring was preserved with a  special wax seal. The decorations inside are rich, but not as ornate as Linderhof, or any baroque or rococo castle. With lots of wood paneling, etc. this castle had a more rustic feeling. 

It was in this rustic, medieval-styled world that King Ludwig II spent a good portion of his time growing up. The picturesque location was so perfect that he had his dream castle built just over the next hill.

 

The view from Hohenschwangau

Richard Wagner, a friend of the mad king’s, visited him at Schloss Hohenschwangau. Some of his inspirations for his operas may have come from the paintings in the castle. Those operas, in turn, were the influence for Neuschwanstein.

I had heard some of Wagner’s The Valkyrie, but I wasn’t that well acquainted with his other operas. When I got home I decided to make a Spotify playlist of some of the songs mentioned on my tour to get a better feel for the castle’s inspiration. You can listen to it here if you would like. 

After I finished my tour of Schloss Hohenschwangau, I began the ascent to Neuschwanstein. You don’t realize it when looking at photos, but to get to a castle nestled in the mountains, you have to climb a mountain. In the summertime there is a shuttle bus, but it can’t run in the snow. However, the whole journey to the top takes less than an hour, and is nicely paved. The views along the way were outstanding as well.

It seems cheesy to say, but seeing this fairytale castle in person was truly magical.  I had seen pictures, of course, but no photograph can do it justice. This was the castle that inspired Walt Disney when he was creating Sleeping Beauty and building Disneyland. The feeling of seeing this castle is so like the feeling of walking into Disneyland. It’s like a world set apart from reality.

On the tour we went through all the completed rooms in the castle. It is famously unfinished, but there are no rooms where things are half-complete or anything. King Ludwig II commissioned the castle in 1868 and all unfinished plans were scrapped in 1886 after the king’s death. About ten rooms were complete, as well as the outside structure. The castle was opened to the public that same year. 

The operatic influence on the castle is quite obvious. The king’s richly carved bedroom is full of scenes from Tristan and Isolde. Almost every painting in the castle depicts one Wagner opera or another. There is even a small Venus Grotto from act I of Tannhäuser with color changing electric lights. The Singer’s Hall  was designed to stage recreations of a famous singer’s contest from medieval times. This contest was the basis of Wagner’s opera, Tannhäuser.

The rooms at Neuschwanstein aren’t just nice to look or well decorated. What I thought was so cool was how symbolic they all were. Each one clearly was meant to represent something to Ludwig II. And now we can look at them and see what he was thinking. It shows what happens when you don’t adapt to changing worldviews, and gives us an idea of just where King Ludwig II was trying to hide. It’s madness, but it is fascinating, and also beautiful.

My day in Hohenschwangau was absolutely fabulous. It was like living in a storybook for a day. And all my adventures in the Alps taught me a lot about the past, when they were a retreat for royalty. I got a sample of what life in the mountains is like today as well. So, thank you Bavarian Alps, for a special treat, a snowstorm, and some splendid castles.