Neuschwanstein castle nestled on top of a ledge overlooking the Pöllat Gorge, near Füssen, in Bavaria was the beginning of my love of castles and history. I was 17, backpacking around Germany with a friend when we arrived in this beautiful town filled with dreams and fairytales.

On the 30 minute climb from the ticket area to the castle, we encountered a lovely older man who (for a few coins) would let you take a picture with him.

I had learned about Neuschwanstein while taking German in high school and it had been a dream of mine to visit it one day. I was in love with the whole atmosphere of the place, the town, the people and the castle that grew ever closer with each step we took.

The king who would build the castle of dreams, King Ludwig II, was but a mere figure head with no real authority after losing power to Prussia in 1866. He isolated himself and created his own world within the walls of his castle. He made changes to the design of the castle to better fit with his illusions of being a grand king.

A small writing room became a grotto. A small dripstone cave. As you go through the grotto, you can see stalactites, a waterfall, and an underground pool. They all bring together the sense of being in a real cave.

The small audience room became a grand throne room that was a combination of a Byzantine church and throne to show what Ludwig felt was his birthright, to be a go between God and the world.

The majority of the castle interior was never finished and there are only about 15 rooms available to see out of the 200 that were constructed.

King Ludwig II only lived in the palace for a total of 172 days before being declared insane and taken into custody in June of 1886. His body was found floating in the Lake Starnberg the next day along with the doctor. It was ruled a suicide, but there were many unanswered questions that led people to speculate it was not as it was recorded.

Though his life and death are surrounded in sadness and mystery, he left a beautiful legacy in Neuschwanstein for millions of people to enjoy.