take 5
Castle Call
some of europe’s most storied castles are located along
the danube River. Here are five must-sees
By Conan ToBias
1
NeuschwaNsteiN
castle, GermaNy
18
Winter 2018
2
liNderhof Palace,
GermaNy
Linderhof was the only
one of Ludwig’s castles
to be mostly completed
before his death, and its
architecture takes some
cues from France’s famed
Palace of Versailles. It’s
small by castle standards,
featuring just six rooms—
a hall of mirrors, bed-
chamber, dining room,
CAA SaSkatcheWan
audience hall and two
tapestry chambers. What
it lacks in size, it makes
up for with a splendid
50-hectare garden and its
Wagner-inspired Hunding’s
Hut, where Ludwig hosted
large feasts.
Bavarian King Ludwig
II spent his personal
fortune building opulent
castles in the hopes of
raising his country’s
standing in the world.
His financial ruin is
your sightseeing tour,
as Munich and the
surrounding area is a
wonderland of beautiful
palaces. Ludwig
personally oversaw
Neuschwanstein’s
design, which was
inspired by the castles
of medieval knights and
the operas of composer
Richard Wagner. Today,
Neuschwanstein is one of
the most photographed
castles in the world
(the fact that it inspired
Disneyland’s Sleeping
Beauty castle probably
helps a bit).