Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ludwig was an enthusiastic leader initially, but Bavaria's days as a sovereign state were
numbered, and he became a puppet king after the creation of the German Reich in 1871 (which
had its advantages, as Bismarck gave Ludwig a hefty allowance). Ludwig withdrew completely to
drink, draw up castle plans and view concerts and operas in private. His obsession with French
culture and the Sun King, Louis XIV, inspired the fantastical palaces of Neuschwanstein, Linder-
hof (
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)
and Herrenchiemsee (
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)
- lavish projects that spelt his undoing.
Contrary to popular belief, it was only Ludwig's purse - and not the state treasury - that was
being bankrupted. However, by 1886 his ever-growing mountain of debt and erratic behaviour
had put him at odds with his cabinet. The king, it seemed, needed to be 'managed'.
In January 1886, several ministers and relatives arranged a hasty psychiatric test that diagnosed
Ludwig as mentally unfit to rule (this was made easier by the fact that his brother had been de-
clared insane years earlier). That June he was removed to Schloss Berg on Lake Starnberg. A few
days later the dejected bachelor and his doctor took a Sunday evening lakeside walk and were
found several hours later, drowned in just a few feet of water.
No one knows with certainty what happened that night. There was no eyewitness nor any prop-
er criminal investigation. The circumstantial evidence was conflicting and incomplete. Reports
and documents were tampered with, destroyed or lost. Conspiracy theories abound. That summer
the authorities opened Neuschwanstein to the public to help pay off Ludwig's huge debts. King
Ludwig II was dead, but the myth, and a tourist industry, were just being born.
Füssen
08362 / POP 14,200
Nestled at the foot of the Alps, tourist-busy Füssen is the southern climax of the Romantic
Road, with the nearby castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau the highlight of
many a southern Germany trip. But having 'done' the country's most popular tourist route
and seen Ludwig II's fantasy palaces, there are other reasons to linger longer in the area.
The town of Füssen is worth half a day's exploration and, from here, you can easily es-
cape from the crowds into a landscape of gentle hiking trails and Alpine vistas.
Sights
CASTLE
Schloss Neuschwanstein
