Hohenschwangau Castle

First recorded in the 12th century as the seat of the knights of Schwangau, the site saw centuries of conflict, changing hands and suffering destruction. In 1832, Crown Prince Maximilian—later King Maximilian II—acquired the ruins and rebuilt them as a summer and hunting residence. The interiors blossomed with Biedermeier furnishings and more than 90 murals by artists such as Moritz von Schwind, steeped in German legend and medieval romance. Ludwig II grew up here, absorbing the atmosphere that later fueled his fantastical projects at Neuschwanstein; he even set up a telescope to watch its construction. Richard Wagner visited and played the famed “Wagner piano,” while the castle itself survived both World Wars unscathed, remaining largely as it was in the 19th century.