Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century palace above the village of Hohenschwangau. The palace was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

The palace was intended as a home for Ludwig II, but it was still uncompleted when he died in 1886. Neuschwanstein embodies the contemporaneous architectural fashion and King Ludwig II's enthusiasm for the operas of Richard Wagner. In the 19th century, many castles were constructed or reconstructed, often with significant changes to make them more picturesque. After Ludwig´s grandfather King Ludwig I had died, Ludwig II started the project of building a private refuge in the familiar landscape far from the capital Munich so that he could live out his idea of the Middle Ages.

Already contemporary critics derided Neuschwanstein, one of the last big palace building projects of the 19th century, as kitsch.

Shortly after the death of Ludwig II in 1886 Neuschwanstein was opened to the public. More than 1.3 million people visit the palace annually, with as many as 6,000 queuing in long lines in front of the entrance per day in the summer.