King Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned Neuschwanstein as a private retreat, partly to honor the composer Richard Wagner. The foundation stone was laid on September 5, 1869, on a rugged hill above the Pöllat gorge. Eduard Riedel prepared the plans, and the stage designer Christian Jank drafted the design, which Ludwig approved personally.
The castle is Neo-Romanesque, modeled on medieval knights' castles. It was also modern, with hot-air central heating, running warm water, telephone lines and automatic-flush toilets. The Throne Hall, 66 by 39 feet (20 by 12 m), draws on Byzantine art.
Ludwig died in 1886, and the castle opened to paying visitors within six weeks. About 15 rooms were finished of more than 200 planned, and the 295-foot (90 m) keep was never built. Visitors take a 35-minute guided tour, and photography inside is not allowed. The castle is said to have inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.
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