TRAVEL ARTS SPOTLIGHT: A MAD KING'S CRAZY CASTLES
By ROBERT W. BONE
c. 2007 Robert W. Bone
Travel Arts Syndicate
MUNICH, Germany - Winter was cold and dark in the Bavarian Alps during the
mid-nineteenth century. Still a few people who ventured outdoors at night would
sometimes see a mysterious, bright glow gliding silently through the pines and
firs.
That would have been Ludwig II, the youthful king of Bavaria, traveling in
his elaborate sleigh - undoubtedly the only sleigh in the world equipped with an
electric light. It was powered by a large battery placed under the seats.
Winter or summer, Ludwig II was known to spend much of his waking hours
moving around the countryside between dusk and dawn. In his short lifetime,
Ludwig II was declared officially insane, and he is widely known today as the
“Mad King” of Bavaria. Part of the evidence given for his psychotic condition
was that he spoke openly of his belief that man would some day fly.
A sensitive and poetic romanticist, he was also talked out of trying to
construct a cable car at the mountaintop castle he was building. It would have
connected to another nearby castle, one that was built by his parents and the
summer home he knew and loved as a child.
Ludwig II cared nothing for the affairs of state. He commissioned
avant-garde art and experimental music, much of which was too advanced for the
time. These included the operas of his socially inept and generally unpopular
friend, Richard Wagner.
On top of everything else, the king was homosexual, and unfortunately
trapped in an age when none dared emerge from that condemned closet.
Today he might be considered an artistic eccentric, and one who would fit
neatly enough into respected elements of society. But this is now and that was
then, and he ended up dying tragically and mysteriously.
He was found dead, floating in a shallow lake on June 13, 1886. A strong
swimmer, the king did not drown. Many believe he was shot, simply as a result of
political intrigue. He was 40 years old.
Thousands of visitors today hike through the Mad King's unfinished
Neuschwanstein, the most famous castle in Germany. Visitors sometimes look up to
see hang gliders flitting around the sky near the ramparts and turrets, a sight
the royal dreamer and wannabe flyer would surely have loved.
The castles of Ludwig II are among the most popular sights for tourists of
today. However, there are actually dozens of palaces and castles extending from
Munich to the Austrian border, whether Gothic, Baroque, or Neoclassical. Some
are open to the public.
Starting from Munich, I joined a small group that set out to examine some
of these sumptuous constructions, cramming as many as possible into a week's
time. It was like dining on beer, sausage and “apfelstrudel” daily - but a
Bavarian feast for the eyes instead of the stomach.
Our eyes glazed over when we tried to grasp the complicated family tree of
the Wittelsbachs, rulers of Bavaria for more than seven hundred years, including
their relationships with their wives, husbands, mistresses and lovers. So we
concentrated on the art and architecture. Here are a few highlights of this
short but fascinating exploration.
Munich
The incredibly large and opulent Baroque palace of Nymphenburg, one of
Munich's most popular attractions, was built to celebrate the 1664 birth of a
royal heir, Max Emanuel, a long-awaited baby who grew up to become the
great-grandfather of Ludwig II. The palace continued to be occupied by the
Wittelsbach family for several generations.
The first King Ludwig dallied there and his grandson, Ludwig II, was born
there.
A popular room in the palace is devoted to dozens of portraits of the first
Ludwig's mistresses - trophies in oil of conquests that included the notorious
Spanish dancer, Lola Montez. She was the inspiration for the expression,
“Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets” - or so we were improbably told by our guide.
I was more impressed with the fact that Mozart played in the palace at age
7 - not with toys or blocks of course, but on the piano.
We also visited three other palaces in Munich: exquisite, 18th-century
Amalienburg, with its circular hall of mirrors, Schleissheim, now the official
state gallery for Baroque paintings, and Lustheim, which contains a beautiful
collection of Meissen porcelain.
Prien
From this attractive Bavarian village on the shores of Lake Chiemsee, we
took the passenger ferry to the small island of Herreninsel to see another of
Ludwig II's “mad” creations - the unfinished palace that he built in an attempt
to duplicate the French palace of Versailles.
On display among the gold, porcelain and cherub-bedecked chambers is
Ludwig's king-size golden bed with its moon-shaped night light, which once
contained a single candle. There is a secret spiral staircase that led from his
bed to an indoor swimming pool on the floor below. Construction on the palace
was halted after his death, and today the unfinished portion is almost as
interesting as the remainder.
Oberammergau
The fairy-tale-like village is famous for its Passion Play, performed every
10 years since the early 17th century. The theater, built expressly for that
purpose, is an interesting tour itself. Next year, 2008, ticket sales will go on
sale for the summer performances in 2010.
A half-hour's drive from Oberammergau is Castle Linderhof, the only one of
the Ludwig II palaces and castles that was completed during the king's lifetime.
Like Herreninsel, this was Ludwig's homage to France's King Louis XIV, with many
elements copied from Versailles. The surrounding gardens are as famous as the
palace itself.
Fuessen
The village of Fuessen is the usual headquarters for visits to two nearby
castles, Ludwig II's Neuschwanstein, with its occasional hang gliders, and the
neo-Gothic Hohenschwangau. The latter, the childhood summer home of Ludwig II,
is credited to Ludwig's father, Maximilian II, who renovated a 12th-century
fortress, keeping the medieval style but modernizing it to comfort standards of
the early nineteenth century.
In later years, Ludwig II used the castle to keep a telescopic watch on his
construction of Neuschwanstein, until enough of it was completed so that he
could move in himself and continue his nightly ramblings through the forests and
nearby mountain villages. Today Neuschwanstein is famous also for serving as the
model for the Sleeping Beauty castles of Disney amusement parks throughout the
world.
In this spectacular Alpine setting, I concluded that Neuschwanstein, the
magnificent edifice of Bavaria's celebrated Mad King, will probably remain the
standard by which all romantic castles are judged between now and, well…kingdom
come.
SIDEBARS
(Note Muenchen or München is the German word for Munich.)
GETTING AROUND
There are several car rental agencies in Munich. Conducted tours through the
Bavarian countryside, including those visiting various palaces and castles, are
also available. Check with Bavaria Tourism, Leopoldstrasse 146 80804, Munich;
www.bayern.by/en/index.html.
RECOMMENDED ACCOMMODATIONS
(Note: The value of the U.S. dollar against the Euro has dropped dramatically
recently, so the conversions from Euros to dollars are approximate.)
Munich: Maritim Muenchen, Goessthestr 7, 80336 Muenchen; Phone: +49 89
55235 - 0;
www.maritim.de.
From 120 euros ($171).
Prien: Yachthotel Chiemsee, Harrasser Strasse 49, 83209 Prien am Chiemsee;
Phone: +49 8051 6960; www.yachthotel.de. From 75 euros ($107).
Fuessen: Treffhotel Luitpold Park, Luitpoldstrasse, 87620 Fuessen; Phone:
08362/904-0;
www.luitpoldpark-hotel.de.
From 79 euros ($112).
RECOMMENDED DINING
Munich
Ratskeller Muenchen, Marienplatz 8, 80331 Muenchen;
www.ratskeller.com.
Metzgerwirt, Auffahrtsallee 69, 80638 Muenchen;
www.metzgerwirt-muc.de.
Restaurant Eisbach, Marstallplatz 3, 80539 Muenchen;
www.eisbach.eu.
Prien
Restaurant zur Linde, 83256 Fraueninsel (on Fraueninsel Island);
www.inselhotel-zurlinde.de.
Fuessen
Restaurant Mueller, Alpseestrasse 16, D-87645 Hohenschwangau;
www.hotel-mueller.de.
ATTRACTIONS
(Note that many public places in Germany are closed on Shrove Tuesday (the
Tuesday before the beginning of Lent), on Dec. 24 and 25, and on Dec. 31. Prices
are in euros. Discounts are often available.)
Nymphenburg Palace and Gardens, Eingang 19, 80638 Muenchen;
www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/ny_schl.htm.
Open daily, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., April 1-Oct. 15; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Oct. 16-March 31.
Tickets 5 euros ($7).
Amalienburg Palace. Eingang 19, 80638 Muenchen;
www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/ny_amal.htm.
Open daily except some holidays, same hours as above. Tickets 2 euros ($2.75).
Schleissheim New Palace and Lustheim Palaces. Max-Emanuel-Platz 1,
Oberschleissheim;
www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/schl_ns.htm;
www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/schl_lu.htm. Open daily except
Monday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., April-September; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., October-March. Tickets:
3 euros ($4).
Herrenchiemsee New Palace, 83209 Herrenchiemsee;
www.herrenchiemsee.de/englisch/n_palace/index.htm.
Open daily, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., April 1-mid-October; 9:40 a.m.-4:15 p.m.,
mid-October- March 31. Guided tours: 7 euros ($10).
Oberammergau Passion Play Theater. Theaterstrasse 16-A 82487 Oberammergau;
www.oberammergau.de/ot_e/passionplay/passionplay_theater.htm.
Guided tours in English 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily, except November and December
Tickets: 6 euros ($8), but with reduced rates for students, disabled visitors,
and some others.
Hohenschwangau castle: Alpseestrasse 12, D-87645 Hohenschwangau;
www.hohenschwangau.de/556.0.html.
Open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Sunday, April 1 to September 30. and 9 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. October 1 to March 31. Closed December 24. Guided tours: 9 euros
($12). Reduced admission fees for seniors, disabled visitors and some students.
Neuschwanstein Castle: Schlossverwaltung Neuschwanstein, Neuschwansteinerstr 20,
87645 Schwangau;
www.neuschwanstein.de.
Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m, April-September; 9 a.m.-3 p.m., October through March. Closed
some holidays. Guided tours are given in English. 9 euros ($12). Combination
tickets for both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein are available for 17 euros
($23). Reduced admission fees for seniors and some students. Children under 18,
free
FOR MORE INFORMATION
German National Tourist Office, 122 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10068; Phone
(212) 661-3377;
www.cometogermany.com.
Bavaria Tourism, Leopoldstrasse 146 80804, Munich, Germany;
www.bayernby/en/index.html.
(Robert W. Bone, who lives in Hawaii, has been writing travel articles for more
than 30 years. He is the author of four guidebooks, and maintains websites at
travelpieces.com and robertbone.com.)
CAPTIONS
1. The Nymphenburg Palace in western Munich was built in the seventeenth century
to celebrate the birth of an eagerly awaited heir to the Wittelsbach dynasty and
fortunes. The Wittelsbachs ruled Bavaria for more than seven hundred years.
(Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
2. A group of students tours the Nymphenburg Palace on the outskirts of Munich.
The Wittelsbach family, rulers of Bavaria for more than seven hundred years,
built the palace to celebrate the birth of a royal heir. (Photo credit: Robert
W. Bone)
3. A statue of King Ludwig I in Munich. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
4. Souvenirs of Ludwig II are sold everywhere. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
5. The Amalienburg Palace in Munich, finished in 1739, is renowned for its Hall
of Mirrors. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
6. The vast Schleissheim Palace in Munich was originally planned to have four
wings but only the main wing was finished. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
7. Schleissheim Palace in Munich now houses Baroque paintings. (Photo credit:
Robert W. Bone)
8. The magnificent interiors of Schleissheim Palace were the work of some of the
leading German artists of the early 18th century. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
9. King Ludwig II's golden bed. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
10. The painted wall of a house in Oberammergau, which is famous for its Passion
Play, presented every ten years since 1634. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
11. Of his many palaces, Linderhof is the only one that King Ludwig II lived to
see completed. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
12. A detail in the garden of Linderhof Palace. (Photo credit: Robert W. Bone)
13. Hohenschwangau was the childhood summer home of Ludwig II. (Photo credit:
Robert W. Bone)
14. King Ludwig II built Neuschwanstein castle near his parents' home. (Photo
credit: Robert W. Bone)
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