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This months picture was taken by Will Rushton on last years Austria tour,
and is of the Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle near Fussen in Southwest
Bavaria.
The castle was built by Ludwig ll as a retreat and homage to Richard Wagner
The foundation stone of the building was laid on September 5, 1869. Neuschwanstein was designed by Christian Jank, a theatrical set designer, rather than an architect, which explains much of the fantastical nature of the resulting building. Neuschwanstein was near completion when, in 1886, the King was declared insane by a State Commission and later found drowned along with the the psychiatrist who certified him, in rather strange circumstances!
Ludwig did not allow visitors to his castles, but since its opening in 1886, over 50 million people have visited the Neuschwanstein Castle and today is one of Germany's top tourist attractions. The palace has appeared in several movies , and was the inspiration behind the fairytale castles of Disneyland.