Castles and towns highlight Bavaria’s charms – Northwest Arkansas Democrat

As with so many travelers, my images of Germany — cute villages, dirndls and lederhosen, and fairy-tale castles — are from Bavaria, in the foothills of the Alps. You could easily spend a week here, soaking up culture as you bike along fragrant fields and tour the sights.

My favorite home bases for exploring the Bavarian Alps are Fussen and Reutte (just over the border in Austria). They put you an easy drive from the region’s most popular sights: the wood-carving capital of Oberammergau and the popular “King’s Castles” with their fairy-tale turrets and romantic aura.

The romance starts with the older castle, Hohenschwangau — the hunting palace of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (aka “Mad” King Ludwig). Its mostly Neo-Gothic interior looks much like it did in 1835, with paintings inspired by Romantic themes.

Ludwig, who inherited the throne at age 18, did not want to deal with politics. He instead focused on constructing the fanciful Neuschwanstein Castle just up the hill, decorated with themes of brave knights, fair maidens and scenes from Wagnerian operas. Just a few months after he moved into Neuschwanstein, Ludwig — who was already planning an even more extravagant castle — was declared mentally unfit to rule. Two days later, he was found dead in a lake. People still debate: Was it murder — as he was nearly bankrupting his kingdom with his costly castle building — or suicide? But today nobody complains about the cost of his castles. In fact, within six weeks of his funeral,

Article source: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/apr/21/bavarian-castles-just-part-of-germany-s/