The original ‘Disney castle’ finally named as Unesco World Heritage Site
Castle that inspired Walt Disney receives Unesco protection
- Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps, with its playful towers and turrets, served as the model for Disney's ‘Sleeping Beauty’ castle and has now been named as a Unesco World Heritage site.
- King Ludwig II envisioned a “holy and unapproachable” medieval knights’ castle, employing theatrical set designers to help create the marvellous structure built in the late 19th century.
- The castle's interior features Wagnerian motifs, including elements from Parsifal in the Singers’ Hall, and an elaborate grotto connecting living spaces.
- Ludwig II's extensive building projects, which also included Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof, and the Royal House at Schachen, strained the Bavarian treasury.
- The king was declared insane and died mysteriously before Neuschwanstein was completed, leading to the castle opening as a tourist attraction just seven weeks later and its recent recognition by Unesco.