Bavaria -

Germany, Bavaria – Neuschwanstein Castle

Gosia — Tue, 12 May 2020 16:08:27 +0000

Neuschwanstein Castle is probably the most famous building in the world, especially in the age group from 2 to 5 years old. Presented in the intro to Disney fairy tales, it ignites everyone’s imagination. The Castle was an inspiration for Walt Disney to create Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Not very subtle name – Neuschwatein, does not reflect its fairytale look, hence it is often called Disney Castle – then everyone knows what we are talking about 😉 The Castle is located on a high hill surrounded by the Bavarian Alps and resembles the old fortress. However, appearances can be deceiving, because its construction began in 1869, at the time when erecting strongholds was actually obsolete. However, who will forbid the rich? However, not as rich as crazy. Neuschwanstein is the unfulfilled vision of King Louis II, more commonly known as Mad Louis or Fairytale King. According to the original plan, the castle was to be built within 3 years, and the project was supposed to cost 3,2 million marks. However, the king’s constant whims raised twice the cost of construction and in the result the castle hadn’t been completed until his death in 1886, to be more specific it hasn’t been finished yet. Neuschwanstein wasn’t the only Louis’ project, what’s more his obsession with castles brought him fame. Other less known residences are also impressive: Herrenchiemsee Palace – built on the pattern of Versailles, or Linderhof Castle – the smallest and the only one that had been completed before his death. Unfortunately, financial capabilities didn’t catch up with the king’s fantasy. Such huge construction projects engrossed Louis so much that he began to neglect his state duties, while at the same time he ran up a huge debt. As a result he was incapacitated and forced to resign in 1886. Shortly after that, he was killed in mysterious circumstances and his body was found in the lake. What’s more interesting Louis didn’t even have time to enjoy his work. He spent in Neuschwanstein, just a few days, in total. Most of his life was associated with the Hohenschwangau Castle, located near Neuschwanstein, where he grew up. The perfect view of the castle is from a spot located on the way to Neuschwanstein. Just After Louis’s death, the castle was made available to visitors, in order to settle King’s debts. Some work was also done to complete the construction. However, the castle requires permanent restoration. Its walls are constantly being destroyed by harsh alpine conditions, while the hill must be protected against landslides. There are long queues to explore the interiors of the castle every day, so it is worth thinking about buying tickets online. Admission costs € 13 and for those under the age of 18 it is free of charge. More info you can find here. The Neuschwanstein Castle is located about 100 km from Munich, close to the border with Austria. From the parking lot you can take a special bus or go on foot to the top of the castle hill. Be prepared to a rather steep path which takes about 30-40 minutes. It’s recommended to walk additional 10-15 min to the nearby viewpoint, located on the Queen Mary’s Bridge. Metal and wooden construction of the bridge, hanging over the steep precipice, makes an amazing impression and also guarantees a wonderful view of the castle and the valley of Hohenschwangau.

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Kehlsteinhaus, Germany – a visit to the Eagle’s Nest

Gosia — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 21:10:47 +0000

Kehlsteinhaus or the teahouse on Kehlstein – it’s a legend itself. Beautiful Alpine views clashes with the difficult history of the World War II. The teahouse is widely known by another name, which speaks more to the imagination. It’s famous Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. The teahouse was built on the initiative of Martin Bormann as a gift from NSDAP for Hitler’s 50th birthday. The best architects and engineers in the Third Reich were involved in the construction of the Kehlsteinhaus. This project cost over 30 million Reichmarks, which is currently worth around 150 million €! According to the Bormann’s intention, in addition to the diplomatic function, Kehlsteinhaus was supposed to be a leisure place for Hitler. A slightly lower than the Eagle’s Nest was Berghof – the official Hitler’s residence, where he spent most of his time during World War II. Contrary to the Berghof, the Eagle’s Nest was not destroyed during the war, so everything here is authentic. Unfortunately, the birthday gift turned out to be a flop, because the suffering of fear of heights Hitler visited this place only out of necessity. Hitler hosted mainly foreign delegations here, and his visits were limited only to several minutes. You can access the teahouse on foot or by special buses from the Hintereck station. Right next to the station there’s a large parking lot for cars. Return ticket costs 16,60 € per person. The 7 km long Kehlsteinstraße road was built in just 13 months and it’s said that it’s one of the most picturesque routes in Europe. During the way to the top, you can listen about the history of the Kehlsteinhaus and the great engineering project connected with it, but there’s no information about the Hitler at all. We get off in the upper parking lot from where we are heading to a long, 124 meters tunnel in the rock, at the end of which the elevator. The tunnel is wide enough to fit a car. It was probably designed to drop off Hitler and his guests straight to the elevator door The elevator door opens and I feel like I’m going back to the 30’s of the last century. A stylish golden interior with a mirror, green upholster, and an old phone, certainly remembers those times… somehow I feel so strange. I take into account that reportedly the decision to attack Poland was made here… The elevator arrives at a height of 124 m, the analogy with the length of the tunnel is striking. Nazis were interested in numerology, but I don’t know the reason why this number appears twice. Maybe someone knows? The elevator stops in the teahouse at 1834 m, when we open the entrance door we feel like being in the clouds. In front of our eyes is amazing panorama of the Bavarian Alps which spreads at a distance of 200 km. Kehlsteinhaus certainly meets its task, it surprises with an incredible location, intimidates and manifests the power, that was its intention. It was supposed to show foreign delegations the power of the Third Reich. We were two times in Kehlsteinhaus. The first approach was failed due to the lousy weather conditions. In order to go there for the second time, we had to resign from the trip to Nurymberg. We hit the spot, the weather and the views were wonderful. From the perspective, I can admit that the picturesque Rossfeld Panorama road made no less impression on me than the Kehlsteinhaus itself.

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