From the balcony of Neuschwanstein Castle, I had this view of the nearby Hohenschwangau Castle. Whereas Neuschwanstein is known as a dream castle built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Hohenschwangau was the castle of his parents and his childhood. Living there, he probably forged out plans for a castle of his own the first time.
The castle above the mouth of the Paznaun in the Stanzer valley, was built in the 13th century. Many of today’s visible elements were created during a renovation at the beginning of the 20th century. In May 1945, parts of the German Wehrmacht surrendered to American troops after negotiations in this castle. [German]
A chance to see the famous Lipizzan horses of the Spanish Riding School for free is having a look into the Stallburg which is placed next to the Spanish Riding School. There you can see the horses standing in their boxes waiting for their next training or performances.
Whereas Prugg Castle (Schloss Prugg) is privately owned and can not be visited, the former castle garden is open for public. From there I took this photo of the castle’s garden side. In 18th century it was rebuilt by architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. In 19th century British architect Edward Buckton Lamb added the Tudor style.
High over the Austrian city of Gloggnitz, the former Benedictine monastery offers now a nice venue for weddings and seminars. The big church located in the middle of the court of Gloggnitz Castle (Schloss Gloggnitz) makes the place special.
Giebichenstein Castle (Burg Giebichenstein) is part of the Romanesque Road (Straße der Romanik). Today it is used by the Kunsthochschule Halle (Academy of Arts). Being a Burgward in the 9th century, the castle became a royal residence of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor.
Seeburg Castle (Schloss Seeburg) is located on the shores of a lake called Süßer See (Sweet Lake). Contrary to its name the lake is salty. It was created by the natural leaching of rock salt in the subsoil. The name of the municipality Seegebiet Mansfelder Land refers to the fact there are several such lakes in this region. Continue reading
Neuenburg Castle (Schloss Neuenburg) located in the wine-growing area of Saale-Unstrut accommodates a wine museum. I took this photo while enjoying a boat trip on the Unstrut River.
Three music stands (Notenständer) with a height of four metres remind of the fact that Querfurt castle (Burg Querfurt) houses a school of music. Artist Ingo Güttler created these music stands which play music and form a sound-installation. The stands can be removed during those times the castle is used for festivals or as a set for movies.
Querfurt Castle was first mentioned in the 9th century. It is one of the largest medieval castles in Germany. In the last decades, Querfurt Castle became famous as a set for medieval movies. E.g. movies like ‘The Physician’ or ‘Pope Joan’.