Schwangau Germany

About Schwangau Germany

Schwangau is situated on southern Germany's Romantic Road, which runs from Würzburg to Füssen and on the former roman road "via claudia augusta". The village itself is located in a valley called "Königswinkel", the king's nook. Steeply rising mountains, limpid lakes and romantic castles are the most famous landmarks of Schwangau.

The holiday opportunities and facilities are unequalled. To mention but a few of the highlights:

• Lake Forggensee with an area of 16 square kilometers is a paradise for water sport enthusiasts, unspoilt by buildings and freely accessible almost all the way round.

• The castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau of the fairy-tale King Ludwig II

• Take the Tegelberg mountain cable car up to an altitude of 1720 m (1,05 miles) in a matter of minutes. Enjoy the unique view from the panorama terrace. It's here that the intrepid hanggliders and paragliders. Kids will love the summer luge (tobbogan)

• There are 120 km (80 miles) of hiking trails in Schwangau, its alpine character preserved by the protected mountain world.

• The wild romantic Pöllat gorge is impressive and certainly worth a visit

• Extensive network of bicycle paths

• heated outdoor swimming, salt-water thermal bath, solarium, sauna landscape and oriental hamam in the "Königliche Kristall-Therme" (royal crystal-therm)

Neuschwanstein Castle

This is King Ludwig's most famous castle. With its turrets and mock-medievalism, its interior styles ranging from Byzantine through Romanesque to Gothic its a real fairy-tale fantasy come true. It was built between 1869 and 1886. Only about a third of the building was actually completed.

The 15 rooms you see on the tour show astonishing craftsmanship and richness of detail.Woodcarving in Ludwig's bedroom took 14 carpenters 4 1/2 years to complete. Wagner's operas feature everywhere in the form of murals. The best view of the castle and a 45m waterfall is from the nearby Mary's Bridge (Marienbruecke), which spans a deep gorge. On the path between this bridge and the castle is a wonderful view of Hohenschwangau and the Alpsee.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria ordered to build this castle to express his idea of being a king. The planning was first made by the royal master-builder Eduard Riedel and as result a building was designed that was determined as a monumental Romanesque castle. The scene-painter Christian Jank made major contributions to the plans. The work started in 1869 with the tower house.

The castle reveals its splendour to the visitors in the king's bedroom. The magnificence could be seen from the architecture to the frescos, paintings, carved works, mosaics and ornaments, furniture and decorations. Innumerable artists worked there: painters, sculptors, carvers, joiners, glass painters, art smiths, locksmiths, decorators, seamstresses and embroiderers. They created works from their own imagination with highest craft skill by using historical design.

Hohenschwangau Castle

In 1523 the castle was already described as not useful for defence purposes but with thin walls. The repair by the Italian architect Licio de Spari 1538 - 41 for the building owner, the Augsburg patrician Paumgarten, was nearly a rebuilding.

The building was the main residence of the government of Schwangau. After repeated change of ownership, the Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria was addicted to the charm of the place and bought the meanwhile to ruin decayed castle. The restoration started in 1833. The remarkable, on one side rounded ground-plan was retained and through the tower on the south-west corner resulted a regular building front. King Maximilian II has used the castle as summer residence.

As expected will be found the abundance of decorations in the interior, the innumerable paintings and the stories they narrate from the honourable persons of the German legend and history till to the heroic deeds of the then living generations of the family Wittelsbach.

How to get to Schwangau...

Video Neuschwanstein

Schloss Neuschwanstein in the snow

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE

Schwangau Images