The Crazy King Ludwig II

...built the Schloss Neushwanstein just outside the small town of Füssen in Germany (on the border with Austria).

Now Füssen itself is a charming town with its cute little Altstadt (old town) all nestled into the most magnificent mountains. It truly does look like a town at the start of the Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road in Germany) should.

But the tourists don't come in droves to see the town. They come for the aforementioned castle which is built by the mad king Ludwig II and is apparently the inspiration for that famous white Disney castle icon.

It's easy to see how the castle could be inspirational, the exterior of the castle gleaming perfectly creamy white really does look magical, especially when it is settled so charmingly atop spectacular mountain forests.

The interior is something of an exercise in what can happen if you allow someone who is really that side of loopy with a penchant for swans and Wagner an unlimited interior design budget. It's a little wonder that the king died in 'mysterious circumstances' and construction work on the castle ceased immediately upon his death.

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