Hohenschwangau castle

In Bavaria, near the small town of Fussen, there is Hohenschwangau Castle.

The castle was built on the ruins of the Schwanstein fortress, which has been mentioned in chronicles since the 12th century. Until the 17th century, the castle was in the possession of a knightly family, then the owners began to change, and in the 19th century Schwanstein was a ruin. The castle was restored by the Crown Prince Massimilian, the future King Maximilian II of Bavaria. Unlike the gloomy gray brutal fortresses of the past, Hohenschwangau was painted in a joyful yellow color, standing out as a bright spot against the background of the surrounding greenery. King-father Ludwig I, coming here for the first time, exclaimed: "This is truly a castle of fairies!" The swan became the symbol of the castle again. The swan was previously on the coat of arms of the Counts of Schwangau. Today, the castle is still owned by members of the Royal House of Bavaria - the Wittelsbach family. Since 1913 it has had the status of a museum and is open to the public.