ne of the joys of living in Europe is the opportunity for us to see our childhood fantasies fulfilled. Places that had only been pictures are coming to life before our eyes. Schloss Neuschwanstein is a wonderful example. Conceived by an unstable young prince in the 19th century, stage designers and artists knit together the dream that is Neuschwanstein (New Swan Stone).
The castle derives its basic shape from the fairy tale world of Grimm, Wagner and Arthurian legend. Inside, after 17 years of construction, the castle remains mostly unfinished. But, the princes living quarters, throne room and performance hall are all complete.
The throne room is decorated in images of Christian Saints and Martyrs, while the performance hall honors Wagner's (a personal friend of the prince) fairy tale operetta, Percival. The prince's living quarters are equally set in fairy tale...off of the bedroom, his study is a small man-made grotto complete with indoor waterfall.
The castle, sits upon a steep rock pinnacle surrounded by a natural woodland moat. A small river cascades out of the mountain behind the castle and winds around to the north. When we began hiking up to the castle (about a half hour walk from the parking area) it was a rainy day. As we climbed higher the rain began to stiffen, until when we reached the height of the castle, snow was beginning to blanket the surrounding mountains. Washed in snow and surrounded by mist, we had only to wait for the dragon to appear.