Post Description

Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known by his nicknames the Swan King or the 
Dream King, is a legendary figure - the handsome boy-king, loved by his people, 
betrayed by his cabinet and found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances. 
He spent his life in pursuit of the ideal of beauty, an ideal that found 
expression in three of the most extraordinary, ornate architectural schemes 
imaginable - the castle of Neuschwanstein and the palaces of Linderhof and 
Herrenchiemsee. Today, these three buildings are among Germany's biggest 
tourist attractions.

In this documentary Dan Cruickshank explores the rich aesthetic of Ludwig II - 
from the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein the iconic fairytale castle, which 
became the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle, to the rich 
Baroque splendour of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig's answer to Versailles. Dan argues 
that Ludwig's castles are more than flamboyant kitsch and are, in fact, the key 
to unravelling the eternal enigma of Ludwig II.