Hillside Keep and Spired Tower Neuschwanstein Castle is a nineteenth century historicist palace built on a rugged hill in the Alpine foothills of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, above the village of Hohenschwangau in the municipality of Schwangau. It stands over the gorge of the Poellat stream, between the Alpsee and Schwansee lakes near the town of Fuessen. According to Guinness World Records, at 65 meters it is the tallest castle in the world, and since 2025 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
Facts
Building Type LocationSchwangau, Bavaria, Germany 1 Completed Year Completed Year Classification
Standing Status Building Type
Building Type (category) FAQs
Did King Ludwig II ever see Neuschwanstein finished?
No. He died in 1886 with the castle still unfinished, and parts of the plan were never built.
No. The Bavarian Palace Department says Ludwig II never saw his New Castle without scaffolding. His rooms in the Palas were ready in 1884, but he died on 13 June 1886 and the work went on after him. A simplified version of the southern part, called the Bower, was completed only in 1891, and the keep with the chapel was never built. The castle opened to the public on 1 August 1886 and received the name Neuschwanstein only after his death.
Connections
Has Building Type
In Style
A 19th century romantic historicist castle drawing on Romanesque and medieval forms.
Uses Element
Source Wikipedia: Neuschwanstein Castle
Source Wikipedia: Neuschwanstein Castle
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: Neuschwanstein Castle
WikipediaLead paragraph, opening sentence describing it as a historicist palace
is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill of the foothills of the Alps
Lead paragraph, sentence citing Guinness World Records for its height
According to Guinness World Records, at 65 metres (213 feet), it is the tallest castle in the world.
Lead paragraph, sentence giving the construction date range and architect
The three-winged complex was built between 1869 and 1892 based on plans by Eduard Riedel in the Neo-Romanesque style.
Lead paragraph, sentence naming Schwangau in the Swabia region of Bavaria
It is located in the Swabia region of Bavaria, in the municipality of Schwangau, above the incorporated village of Hohenschwangau, which is also the location of Hohenschwangau Castle.
Lead section
Since 2025, the castle has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee". According to Guinness World Records, at 65 metres (213 feet), it is the tallest castle in the world.
Uses Element: Brick, Wikipedia article
The palace was erected as a conventional brick construction and later encased in various types of rock.
Uses Element: Stone, Wikipedia article
The palace was erected as a conventional brick construction and later encased in various types of rock.
View the Source 2. Wikidata: Neuschwanstein Castle
- Wikidata Q4152, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Wikidata Q4152, P571 claim (w-bbfill-artsarchag-0926)
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