Of the Nature Boy

There was a boy...A very strange enchanted boy

19th century King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The tour guides said he was "eccentric." We think he just was not ready to be King of Bavaria which is why he chose to retreat into a world of fairy tales and music.

They say he wandered very far...Very far...

Hohenschwengau, located next to the Bavarian Alps and the nearby town of Fussen (where we stayed), and the summer palace of the Bavarian Royal Family. Yet, Ludwig was not satisfied and sought to build his own dream world. It was in Hohenschwengau where he retreated to oversee the construction of his magnum opus.

Over land and sea...

You cannot take pictures inside the castle except for the view out of the windows. And what a view it was. If you could wake up every day and see such a sight from your window, anyone would feel like royalty. You can see my pink camera floating on top of the lake.

A little shy, and sad of eye...But very wise was he...

Neuschwanstein castle, Ludwig's legacy and fantasy come true. It was the unfinished product of personal funds, 14 years worth of work, and of dreams. Today, it's one of the most visited places in Germany and the model for Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland. It also has a cave (complete with waterfall) within one of its many rooms and a large concert room for Richard Wagner, Ludwig's close friend and favorite composer. Like the inside of Hohenschwengau, you can only enter the castle via a tour, which you buy tickets for at the foot of the mountain. But it was well worth it just for the panoramic view of the Bavarian countryside, the mountains, and the image of the quintessential fantasy castle come to life.

And then one day
One magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things...
Fools and kings...
This he said to me...

Sadly, after a mere 100 days within the castle, Ludwig was declared mentally insane and overthrown. 3 days later, his body was found floating in Starnberger Lake, a sign that the world is not kind to dreamers...

Despite his tragic and untimely death, for 100 days, Ludwig got to do what so many of us can only dream of someday doing: live in his perfect, fantasy world. That is some consolation.


"The greatest thing, you'll ever learn, is just to love
And be loved, in return" - Eden Ahbez, "Nature Boy"

Fussen, the photo album