Hohenschwangau Castle (Castle of the High Swan County), was the
childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and was built by
his father, King Maximilian II. It is located in the German village
of Schwangau near the town of Füssen, very close to the Austrian
border. The castle was built on the remains of the fortress
Schwanstein, first mentioned in historical records dating from the
12th century.
A family of knights was responsible for the construction of the
original medieval fortress, and after the demise of the knights in
the 16th century the fortress changed hands several times. The
decay of the fortress continued until it finally fell into ruins at
the beginning of the 19th century. In 1829 Crown Prince Maximilian,
who became King Maximilian II of Bavaria, discovered the historic
site and reacted enthusiastically to the beauty of the surrounding
area, acquiring the property in 1832. One year later the
reconstruction of the Castle began, continuing until 1837.