Birthday Celebration in Eastern Europe

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Tuesday, 20 September 2016 - Explored the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle from Marie's Bridge with its Romanesque Revival towers commissioned by King Ludwig II, learned about its history and links to Wagner and Disney, enjoyed dramatic alpine views and the surrounding Bavarian countryside, walked around Hohenschwangau and its pastoral valley, and wandered through Oberammergau admiring its painted fresco homes and village charms.

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The Neuschwanstein Castle (New Swanstone Castle) is a 1800s Romanesque Revival palace. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as homage to Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and extensive borrowing, rather than Bavarian public funds.

This picture was taken from the Marie's Bridge - see below
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The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Great Escape and serves as the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.
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Bridge over a gorge from which the best view of the Neuschwanstein Castle is possible.

Marie's Bridge is across the Pollat River directly behind Neuschwanstein Castle. The bridge was named by Ludwig II of Bavaria after his mother, Marie Friederike of Prussia.
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Cal and Virginia Ann on Marie's Bridge with the Neuschwanstein Castle in the background.
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The edge of the alps from the Neuschwanstein Castle walls.
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I would suspect that climbing the rocks around the castle is not a good idea.
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At the time of Ludwig's death the palace was far from complete. He slept only 11 nights in the castle. Had it been completed, the palace would have had more than 200 interior rooms, including premises for guests and servants, as well as for service and logistics. Ultimately, no more than about 15 rooms and halls were finished.
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The gang. On the phone is our guide, Virginia Ann, Kathy Moore, Gary Moore, David Moore, Daren Whatley, Melody Moore, and Paul Moore.
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From Neuschwanstein Castle you can look down on Hohenschwangau Castle.

Hohenschwangau Castle (Upper Swan County Palace) is a 19th-century palace in Southern Germany. It was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and was built by his father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria.
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The Pilgrimage Church of Wies rests in a picturesque meadow.
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Construction took place between 1745 and 1754, and the interior was decorated with frescoes and with stucco work. "Everything was done throughout the church to make the supernatural visible. Sculpture and murals combined to unleash the divine in visible form".
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It is said that, in 1738, tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden figure of the Scourged Saviour. This miracle resulted in a pilgrimage rush to see the sculpture. In 1740, a small chapel was built to house the statue but it was soon realized that the building would be too small for the number of pilgrims it attracted, and so Steingaden Abbey decided to commission a separate shrine. Many who have prayed in front of the statue of Jesus on the altar have claimed that people have been miraculously cured of their diseases, which has made this church even more of a pilgrimage site.
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Pilgrimage Church of Wies ceiling

The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983 and underwent extensive restoration between 1985 and 1991.
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The inside of the original tiny chapel built in 1740 was, despite a wooden addition, too small for the masses of pilgrims, the nearby Steingaden monastery decided that a church must be built.
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Little goat house near the little chapel.
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We spent a few hours walking around the little town of Oberammergau.

Oberammergau is famous for its "Luftlmalerei," or frescoes, of traditional Bavarian themes, fairy tales, religious scenes or architectural optical illusions found on many homes and buildings.
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Decorated home
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We liked the painted columns on this home, an example of the architectural optical illusion.
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Steeple of the Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul.
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Altar painting expresses the significance of the Rosary. At the lower left of the painting the parish and Confraternity of the Rosary are pictured. The bale is offered to the Queen of the Rosary as a gift from the village.

The figures on the altar are Peter and Paul (inside),St. Joseph with the divine child and Joachim (outside).
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Statue detail
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Ceiling detail
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Organ and balcony
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Puti on one of the altars
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Linderhof Palace was designed in the style of the second Rococo period and was built between 1863 and 1886.

Although Linderhof is much smaller than Versailles, it is evident that the palace of the French Sun-King Louis XIV (who was Ludwig's idol) was its inspiration.
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The garden is decorated with four majolica vases.
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Gilt sculpture "Amor shooting an arrow".
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The gardens surrounding Linderhof Palace are considered one of the most beautiful creations of historicist garden design, designed by Court Garden Director Carl von Effner. The park combines formal elements of Baroque style or Italian Renaissance gardens with landscaped sections that are similar to that of an English garden.
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The Grotto was built for the king as an illustration of the First Act of Wagner's "Tannhauser". Ludwig liked to be rowed over the lake on his golden swan-boat. Twenty four dynamos were installed so that at the time of Ludwig II it was possible to illuminate the grotto in changing colours.
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The terrace gardens form the southern part of the park. On the landing of the first flight there is the "Naiad fountain" consisting of three basins and the sculptures of water nymphs. In the middle arch of the niche you see the bust of Marie Antoinette of France. These gardens are crowned by a round temple with a statue of Venus.
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A lone swan - many swans are used in decorating the castle.
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On the way out we had an option to climb a short way to a small building which was the Moroccan House. Only David and Cal made the side trip. So it became a joke where the others were tormented as they missed the biggest and most wonderful site on the whole trip to the Linderhof Palace.

The Moroccan House was built in Morocco for the International Exhibition in Vienna 1873. The King bought it in 1878 and redecorated it in a more royal way.

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