Ludwig II reigned as King of Bavaria from 1864 to 1886. When he assumed the throne at 18 years of age, he was head of one of Germany’s most important families and monarch of the third most powerful state in the German Confederation. He died 22 years later, deposed and powerless, in debt and lonely…
I guide private tours to two of Ludwig’s castles:
- To Hohenschwangau Castle, built by the Knights of Schwangau in the 14th century and renovated by Ludwig’s father in the 1830s. The castle interior is decorated with over 90 murals depicting the history of the castle and the village of Schwangau as well as Germanic epics and Old Norse sagas in figures larger than life. Here, Ludwig spent youthful summers and so acquired a fascination with mythology and legendary tales of kings and knights and the Holy Grail.
- And to Neuschwanstein Castle, which Ludwig at first intended to build “in the genuine style of the old German knightly fortresses.” The cornerstone was laid in 1869, and after continued changes throughout the 17-year construction period, the castle turned out more Neo-Romanesque than Neo-Gothic. Ludwig spent his last days of freedom in this castle. Within its walls, he was informed of the declaration of his insanity and of his deposition. Neuschwanstein is considered Ludwig’s first castle—though it remained unfinished at the time of his mysterious death.
On tour to one or both of these castles, we walk along winding paths through verdant woodland. We see stunning views of the castles and the surrounding countryside. We learn about the history of the region, about the castles, and about the man called the Swan King, the Fairy-Tale King, the Mad King—Ludwig II of Bavaria.
Magnus of Füssen, missionary and dragon slayer, died in the mid-8th century. When his uncorrupted corpse was discovered in the 9th century, the cleric was canonized and St. Mang’s Abbey founded. The abbey was home to a community of Benedictine monks for a thousand years, until it was dissolved in the German mediatisation at the end of the Holy Roman Empire.
I guide private tours through the Füssen Town Museum.
Today, the former abbey houses the town’s administrative center, its library, and museum. Exhibits in the Füssen Town Museum reveal the history of the abbey and of the town, beginning with the town’s establishment, in the 1st century, as an important trade center situated on the Lech river and the Roman road Via Claudia Augusta. Displays of lutes, violins, and organs showcase Füssen’s importance as an instrument-making center of Europe throughout the medieval period, and a series of expositions and annotated photographs documents its entry into the industrial age.
On the museum tour, we explore the exhibits and the building itself, which is as much a historical artifact as the antiquities exposed within it. We delve into the excavated ruins of the monastery cloister. We discover its library and refectory; we marvel at the stucco sculptures and frescoes in the lavish Emperor’s Hall, and in the 17th-century St. Anne’s Chapel, we look upon the oldest existing Danse Macabre in Bavaria.
I am an independent tour guide. I guide Füssen Town Museum tours through the museum offices and tours to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles through Special Private Tours and other fine tour operators. Ask for Stephen. Tours and guide depend on availability. Book early.
Family and friends and those in the know should contact me directly to arrange a custom tour.
See you soon!
