10. Neuschwanstein didn’t get its name until after Ludwig II’s death. Hohenschwangau castle. Photo: DPA. During his lifetime, King Ludwig II called the palace the 'Neue Burg Hohenschwangau ...

Yet Neuschwanstein—which means new swan stone—is proudly Bavarian. ... and he liked to arrive at his Linderhof castle in a shell-shaped boat gliding through an underground grotto.

Neuschwanstein was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria, a man known also as the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King, but also as Mad King Ludwig. Ludwig II did not enjoy reigning.

For all its grandeur, Neuschwanstein was a wild indulgence, and Ludwig ignored matters of state to pursue his Romantic dreams, to the detriment of Bavaria in particular and Germany as a whole.

Neuschwanstein castle stands on a craggy rock 200 meters above the valley. It was styled like the monumental Romanesque knight's castle, with the swan as a recurring symbol of the decor.

Neuschwanstein Castle: Is there a better view on earth? Seven weeks later Neuschwanstein was unveiled to the paying public and, although only a dozen or so of its 200-plus rooms were ever finished ...