it's here: mcmansion hell goes to neuschwanstein castle
Added 2024-12-28 02:39:08 +0000 UTC
an essay in two parts
Comments
We visited Neuschwanstein in 2015, and it definitely felt like a very appropriate model for the Disney castle -- it was clearly someone's idea of a castle, rather than an actual castle. I love reading your explanations of why exactly it felt so fake, despite being real.
Lanth
2024-12-31 19:28:00 +0000 UTC
Went to visit this castle just last September. Up close, it doesn't look old - that's true. It also gives the sense that it's not sure what it's trying to be - fortress? Romantic mansion? Fantasy world? Grand imperial monument? Symbol of national pride? And it's such a mishmash of elements it does give a strong sense of, "this is a stage set". And inside were additional plans for even more wild additions such as a "knight's thermal bath" with large balcony/viewing platform extending outside overlooking the valley (design drawings, but never built). And a few rough brick rooms that were never completed as well. It's huge, but only 3 sections can be visited - I still wonder what was in the rest of it.