Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century historic palace in southwest Bavaria, Germany, on a craggy hill above the hamlet of Hohenschwangau near Füssen. King Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned the mansion as a retreat and in honor of Richard Wagner. Rather than using Bavarian public finances, Ludwig preferred to pay for the castle with his personal fortune and with substantial borrowing. Construction on the building began in 1869 but was never completed.
Until the King's death in 1886, the castle was meant as a private dwelling for him. Shortly after his death, it was opened to the public. Over 61 million tourists have visited Neuschwanstein Castle since then. More than 1.3 million people visit each year, with up to 6,000 visitors each day throughout the summer.
The municipality of Schwangau is located on the southwest border of the German state of Bavaria, at an elevation of 2,620 feet. The transition between the Alpine foothills in the south (near the Austrian border) and a mountainous environment in the north that appears flat by comparison characterizes its surroundings.
Despite the fact that Ludwig II moved into the castle in 1884, he never saw it completed due to several delays and setbacks that caused the project to go behind schedule. The bower and square tower were not finished until 1892, a full 24 years later.
