In 1995, I visited Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Neuschwanstein with my then six-month-old son and a few friends. We had rooms in the Alpina (now Hyperion) Hotel. The first day, it was rainy. So, we just walked around in Garmisch. The next day was gorgeous. It was sunny and a perfect day to go see the Neuschwanstein Castle. At that time, there was some refurbishing done. So, we had a guided tour on a much smaller scale than the usual tour.

I discovered that King Ludwig II was very fond of the composer Richard Wagner’s operas. Ludwig invited Richard to his Hohenschwangau castle, which sits on a lower level across from Neuschwanstein. Every Summer, there is a concert in honor of Wagner under the roof of the Neuschwanstein Castle. Unfortunately, Richard Wagner never had the opportunity to visit the castle himself. He passed away before it was “finished”.In reality, the Neuschwanstein Castle was never completed. King Ludwig had his own tragic ending. His death was ruled by drowning in Lake Starnberg. It’s been said, it was suicide. But his death is controversial. Still today, many believe he was murdered. He passed away at the age of 40 on June 13, 1886.