German Wanderlust (2010–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - The Bavarian Alps - full transcript
Our neighbours in Germany have Iong had
a fascination with walking.
200 years ago, the famous romantics
of German history
were inspired by their adventures
in the great outdoors.
So today, I'm here to walk in the footsteps
of painters, writers and musicians,
to explore the country, and a cultural
movement that encouraged walking for pleasure.
This is my chance to discover
my own sense of Wanderlust.
Hello and welcome to a German landscape
that no walker can ignore -
the mountains of Bavaria.
These are the Bavarian flatlands,
this is the threshold to the Alps.
And this great barrier of rock is the entree
to Western Europe's great mountain range.
Now, of course, the Alps are
full of great walking potential.
But l've come here to learn about
a quite fantastical story.
It's an example of German romanticism
on the grandest scale imaginable.
It reads like a tragic fairy tale,
although unbelievably, it's a true story.
This dramatic setting is the natural
southern boundary to Germany.
Just one valley away
is the start of Austria,
but today, my walk is all about
a truly Bavarian story,
one that predates the formation
of the German nation,
a time when this area
was the playground of an eccentric king -
one who famously tried to combine his Iove of
romantic arts with his Iove of this Iandscape.
80 miles south of Munich,
the Alps are the backdrop to the Iargest
and greenest of Germany's states.
The town of Fussen is the Iocal centre
for my walking activities.
From here you can access mountains
Iike the Tegelberg.
From this viewpoint, my walk heads in
a downhill horseshoe into the mountains,
through a valley and out,
past the famous romantic
castles of Bavaria,
to the flat pastures below.
My romantic predecessors
would have had their work cut out
just reaching the start of my walk today
because l'm already 1,700 metres up,
thanks to the cable car that brings you
to the top of the Tegelberg.
But it isn't a cheat because
this is a walk that starts at the top
and then works its way through 1
7 kilometres, down to the bottom.
Today, the Bavarian Alps attract
all manner of outdoor enthusiasts,
but 1 50 years ago,
this terrain was rather more exclusive.
King Maxmilian II made use of the forest
and valleys here
as part of his private hunting reserve.
His wife, Queen Mary, preferred the simpler
pleasures of walking and climbing,
and she would have a profound influence
on her two sons -
Otto, and in particular,
Ludwig, the heir to the throne.
This is the fellow l've come to
learn all about - King Ludwig ll.
He was known as the Fairy-tale Prince.
He had a really vivid imagination and he
adored castles, and legends and opera.
But our first Ludwig landmark
is this fairly modest wooden hut.
The Tegelberg Mountain Hut was built in 1 852
as a restpoint for Ludwig's mother Queen Mary.
Without the cable car to help,
she would Ieave her castle home far below
and embark on Iong days in the mountains.
It was Mary, more than anyone, who introduced
her young son Ludwig to the joys of the Alps.
She was a pioneer when it came to walking
and this was very much her patch.
So Iet's take a Iook at where I'm heading
for my own day trip in the mountains.
My walk today encompasses
all the Iandscapes and terrains
that Mary introduced to her two children.
From the rocky peaks around the Tegelberg,
I'll walk along an alpine ridge
before descending to a hanging valley
and the forests and hunting Iodges
of the Royal Family.
But all walks in these parts are drawn
to Neuschwanstein,
the world's most outrageous castle,
and Ludwig's masterpiece creation.
This gothic folly stands proudly above
the conclusion of my walk
at the village of Hohenschwangau
and the alpine Iakes at the valley bottom.
Ah, that shimmering pool of cool-looking
water is my destination, Alpsee.
But there's a long way to go yet.
It's said that from a young age,
the future King Ludwig wandered
these mountains on visits every summer.
Growing up in the 1 850s,
the Prince was influenced by
the romantic movement of the age.
Ludwig would follow his mother to mountain
huts to indulge his Iove of reading -
the start of a Iifetime spent gaining
comfort and inspiration from the Alps.
"On the whole, l'm happy and content
in the glorious mountains.
In the awful city, l am sad and miserable,
often melancholic in the extreme.
Freedom is my breath."
In an era when European heads were thinking of
industrialisation and continental alliances,
the Bavarian heir preferred to Iose himself
in the great paintings of his royal homes.
He Ioved images of medieval knights
and Iegends of his own royal heritage.
And when it came to music,
a trip to the opera aged 1 6,
convinced Ludwig there was one composer
whose interests and themes
matched his own pertectly -
Richard Wagner.
Hm, the mighty valley.
That jagged spike in the sky
must be Geiselstein,
and then that river down below
in the valley is Lobentalbach.
My walk has reached
the Brandertleck shoulder,
a gentle arete that allows walkers to stand
at the head of two separate alpine valleys.
But until 1 60 years ago,
hardly anyone would have seen this view.
That zig-zag path over there is known as
Maximilian Way, named after Ludwig's father.
It's said he spent five weeks
exploring these mountains,
which naturally were called his mountains,
and that path is still used
by thousands of Germans every year.
It looks quite challenging to me.
But time for me to turn the other way,
and head down into the opposite valley
and my next target -
the mountain hut of Bleckenau.
That's very precise, isn't it?
An hour and three quarters. How do
they know it's going to take me that long?
I might stop for lunch.
When told to take an hour and three
quarters, you somehow don't want to be Iate!
But we British walkers often relish our
right to walk fast or slow as we please.
Maybe I've unearthed a subtle difference
in our walking cultures.
To be fair, though,
no one seems in a great hurry in Bavaria...
not that I've bumped into anyone.
And I'm certainly not going to
miss the chance to grab a good view.
Feeling a bit left out.
From this spot, I can see down into the
Pollat Valley, the next stage of my walk.
And across on the other side,
high above me now,
is the highest peak in the area -
the 2,000-metre Sauling.
Just think, 1 50 years ago...
..all of this was the hunting preserve
of Ludwig's family.
The Wittelsbach dynasty reigned
over Bavaria for more than 700 years.
Generation after generation came here
to hunt deer, goats and boar.
But it was only in the time of
Ludwig's parents Max and Mary,
that attentions turned to truly
appreciating the Iandscape itself.
In August 1 857, Mary Ied an eleven-year-old
Ludwig and an eight-year-old Otto
to the Sauling's dominant peak.
It's said they spent a full three hours
on the summit,
well Iooked after, of course, by the children's
tutor, the royal cook and several porters.
Ludwig came to the throne in 1 864,
aged just 1 8.
And it's clear, by this time,
he detested Iife at home in Munich.
And one of his first acts as king,
was to settle the debts of his troubled
but idolised friend Richard Wagner,
and bring him to these mountains.
Another alpine hut.
And it would appear
that Ludwig's love of this place
is shared by many more today.
Bleckenau is another Iegacy
of Germany's most famous royal family.
The one-time hunting Iodge
has more than enough space today
to cater for dozens of hungry and thirsty
alpine adventurers.
I've arranged to pop inside to meet the
current owner for a delve into Iocal history.
For sure, he was not a normal person.
I have read one time,
in a big newspaper in Germany,
something very interesting.
The man wrote, "l think King Ludwig
was the Michael Jackson of earlier times."
ls that what you think of him,
the Michael Jackson of his day?
Yeah, that's OK. That's
a very good picture.
Maybe it's not perfect,
but it's a very good picture, l think.
You've got some fantastic photographs here
that you're going to show me.
This is the good old days, of this -
the hunting lodge?
Yes, it's the good old days...
Oh, wow, look at that!
That's the house,
you have seen it when coming up.
It's quite different now
because the wood is very different.
This one is the same mountain, because
mountains don't change every 200 years.
This is a great picture. Now to me, that looks
like a bunch of Greeks sat having a party.
That could be my great grandmother.
And it's literally just outside, isn't it?
It is outside and l don't think
they are Greeks, but maybe...
And it's a part of the Royal Family, which
is having coffee in front of the house...
..a long time ago.
- 1 865.
- 1 865.
It's a great picture. Lots of very fine moustaches
in that picture... and that's just the women!
(Chuckling)
So the Royal Family have had a connection
with this place for a long time.
But actually doing the maths, your family have
been connected to the cabin for even longer.
Yes, for much longer now,
because, after the First World War,
things changed very much here
up in the mountains.
The history of the Royal Family was over,
and of the King,
and the new state was grown up in Germany.
And since this time, our family is
up here now in the third generation.
How many lodges like this are there
all over the mountains?
It's a difficult question. We know there
have been round about 1 20 hunting lodges.
But we must know that King Ludwig ll
was not a hunter,
he was here to relax, more or less.
It was very important for him
to go away from the crowd.
Did he and Wagner spend time in the lodge?
There are some very interesting letters
in which the King wrote for himself.
And in one of his letters, he wrote,
"Oh, Mr Wagner, if you come back again
to Hohenschwangau,
let's go up to the hut Bleckenau again,
like last year,
because it's so quiet there and we could make
some things all alone from the other people."
- So they did.
- So they did.
It was the best place for them to talk about
music, about everything they are interested.
And they have been alone.
So they could have sat here like you and l?
More or less.
- Do you like his music?
- Don't ask me.
(Laughs) That's a no!
(Laughter)
But for Ludwig, the promotion of his
beloved composer was a key part of the plan
to bring a new wave of romantic culture
to the people of Bavaria.
And my walk now heads gently downhill, through
the forest, and along the Pollat Valley,
to take in the crowning
glory of Ludwig's vision.
"Someday, when we
are both long since gone,
our work will shine for
following generations.
A bright example which is going to charm
for centuries.
And every heart will burn with enthusiasm
for divine, eternally living art!"
The fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein
is my next destination,
without doubt the symbol of everything
the eccentric king stood for,
and, as Ludwig intended,
a treasured place where the imagined world
of Wagner's operas could come to Iife.
"lt is my intention to rebuild the
old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau.
The location is the most
beautiful one could find,
a worthy temple for the divine friend
who has brought salvation
and true blessing to the world."
Today, this homage to the operas
of Richard Wagner
draws crowds Iike no other part of Germany.
It is far and away the biggest tourist trap
on any of my walks -
but I'm certainly not going to miss it.
Aha... it looks as if the peace and
serenity might be coming to an end.
It's the coach parties!
This spot attracts up
to 6,000 visitors a day.
Luckily I've arranged to meet a Iocal
expert to see me through the masses.
- Hello, Erih.
- Hello, lovely to see you.
And what a lovely dress, as well.
- How are you?
- Welcome, l'm fine, thank you.
- Good, you look lovely.
- Let's go to the bridge up here.
Absolutely!
Erih Goessler has been a guide both inside
and around the castle for 20 years.
- Nice bridge.
- L can hear the water.
Holy moly!
That's definitely a castle!
Enormous!
It's an enormous castle!
All that for one man!
Yeah. lt's great, isn't it?
It's very, very grand!
So where on earth did he get
the inspiration for such a creation?
He read books about the knights,
about the 1 2th century,
and he wanted to have
a castle like the knights.
He wanted to get in to reality everything
he had in his head, in his fantasy.
Rather than use an architect
to create his fantasy,
he engaged the services of a set designer,
didn't he?
There was a theatre
painter - Christian Jank.
And then the architect,
Dollman out of Munich,
he had to bring that stage
set, or the design, into reality.
That was not so easy.
He didn't actually spend very much time
in the castle, did he?
- That's right. lt took 1 7 years to erect the castle!
- 1 7 years?
But it's not finished!
- Lt's still not finished.
- They're restoring it now.
But Ludwig ll lived
about a half a year in the castle.
- And that was it?
- That was it.
So 1 7 years to construct
and he spent less than six months there?
- Yes, he died early.
- Lt's very sad, isn't it?
The bridge is pretty
special, as well, isn't it?
Well, this is a steel bridge
built by Ludwig ll in 1 866 -
the first steel constructed
bridge in Germany.
But before, there was a wooden bridge
built by Maximilian ll, his father.
Built for Mary,
so that she could pass the canyon,
go up the hill to the
hunting lodge up there.
Mary loved the outdoors. So this really was
her bridge to the mountain, wasn't it?
That was her bridge to the mountain.
She had a special dress for that purpose.
Like you? (Laughs)
No, no, not like me. lt was very special.
Wow, look at that!
But she was not allowed to walk in
to the mountains without trousers.
- So she has little trousers underneath.
- Both.
- She needed both.
- Lt must have been so uncomfortable and hot!
Did she approve of Ludwig's fantastical
lifestyle and his relationship with Wagner?
Queen Mary was rooted to her native soil.
She had no fantasy like Ludwig,
and she could not... understand his mind.
She believed in doing the right thing
for the country, for the monarchy...
That was her...
..and for the land.
So this is the view Ludwig would have had
as he stepped out of the mountains
returning to his dream home.
But before I continue, I need to see
the view all the way to the valley bottom,
a view that helped Ludwig decide
where to position his new castle.
Yes, here's the castle of Ludwig's parents,
where Ludwig grew up.
So that was his childhood castle.
That's where it all began
for him in his mind, certainly.
Well, you can absolutely see where he got
his passion for castles, of course.
But it's tiny compared to the castle
that he went on to build.
Well, it's just a summer castle.
It's just for holidays.
And of course,
the village wasn't here in those days.
There were just a few farmhouses. The
hotels were built later because of tourism.
JULlA: What a beautiful situation.
ERlH: A nice lake.
Ludwig ll learnt to swim in that lake.
Gosh.
The Alpsee. The lake of the Alps.
L'd better get on my
way or l'll never get there.
The Iake of the Alps, is my rather
picturesque destination for this walk...
so it's clearly going to
be all downhill from here!
- L'll see you up a mountain.
- Thank you for coming here. Bye.
And at Erih's suggestion, I'm keeping
away from the main tourist route
and Ieaving Neuschwanstein
via the Pollat Gorge.
This is the backdoor to the castle,
the route that follows the river once again
as it plunges beneath Queen Mary's Bridge.
Well, it's clear from here that you couldn't dive
off that bridge into the inviting rocky pool below.
You'd simply die.
The Pollat Gorge and its river are what
separates Tegelberg mountain
from the castle's own pedestal.
It's very strange to think that this medieval castle
building frenzy took place just 1 30 years ago,
but already great efforts are being made
to maintain the castle
and ensure it doesn't
slide off its dramatic perch.
Remember the Bavarian flatlands l was talking
about at the beginning of the walk from up top?
There they are.
Standing between me and the end of my walk
is the growing village of Hohenschwangau.
Throughout the 20th century, the
bitter-sweet story of the Fairy-tale King
has drawn more and more people.
Cementing Ludwig's place in
public affection was Walt Disney,
who used the marvel of Neuschwanstein as the
basis for his own Sleeping Beauty Castle.
But there's some sadness amongst
these crowds too,
for this was the very spot where Ludwig
came to escape the outside world.
"Do not disturb the idyllic solitude
of this romantic setting.
For there will come a time when
many other people will yearn, as l do,
for such a piece of land
where they can find refuge,
a place left unspoiled by modern culture
and technology, greed and haste,
a place far from the noise and turmoil,
the soot and dust of the cities."
This is reputed to have been one of Ludwig's
favourite spots - the sapphire waters of Alpsee.
It's where his love of landscape, art and
music all came together on his 21st birthday.
His favourite opera,
the one that inspired him the most,
was Wagner's heroic
tale of the Swan Knight.
As a 1 6-year-old, it had been the opera
Lohengrin that had first delighted the King.
The 1 2th century Swan Knights once built their
own castles in this very corner of Bavaria.
But in 1 865, accompanied by fireworks,
Ludwig was proud to stage Wagner's fantasy
tale here on the shores of the Iake.
The singer arrived
in a magnificent swan-shaped boat,
much to the delight
of the 21-year-old King,
who was so enthralled by the performance, that
he demanded a second one the very next night.
Quite what Mary, the Queen Mother,
made of all this is anyone's guess.
But she and Ludwig did of course,
share a Iove of this Bavarian Iandscape.
Both of them Iiked to bathe here,
enjoying the icy alpine waters
with its unique backdrop.
Ludwig was renowned as a strong swimmer
and it's recorded that he once swam the entire
Iength of the Alpsee in just 22 minutes.
The story of King
Ludwig ll is a strange one.
Clearly, he wasn't a great king,
and yet he's remembered very fondly.
And with every visitor that passes through
his magnificent castle, his legend grows.
But like every good drama,
this one is topped with tragedy.
In 1 886, and without
any medical examination,
Ludwig's ministers declared
him mentally ill and unfit to rule.
He was formally deposed and taken
from Neuschwanstein,
to a secure castle near Munich.
Just days Iater,
the King's body and that of his doctor,
were found drowned in the shallow waters
of the nearby Lake.
Ludwig II wasjust 40, and the event has
become one of Germany's greatest mysteries.
Whether or not Ludwig's death was an accident,
is the topic of constant speculation.
He was a good swimmer, for one.
If he did commit suicide, then why
did the same fate befall his doctor?
We know that his ministers were disappointed
enough and frustrated enough to dethrone him,
and his family were alarmed by his excessive
behaviour, his artistic tendencies.
All of that, though, is circumstantial
evidence. Will we ever know?
And then there was Mary,
who's commemorated here.
The Queen Mother didn't Ieave her bed for four
weeks after hearing news of Ludwig's death.
The woman who had been both influential
and critical of her son
was never a well woman again.
Within three years, she too was dead.
Ludwig's life was full of drama.
He had the means to live out his fantasies.
But ultimately, those fantasies took
German romanticism to a tragic conclusion.
Der Marchenkonig - the Fairy-tale King,
who didn't live happily ever after.
a fascination with walking.
200 years ago, the famous romantics
of German history
were inspired by their adventures
in the great outdoors.
So today, I'm here to walk in the footsteps
of painters, writers and musicians,
to explore the country, and a cultural
movement that encouraged walking for pleasure.
This is my chance to discover
my own sense of Wanderlust.
Hello and welcome to a German landscape
that no walker can ignore -
the mountains of Bavaria.
These are the Bavarian flatlands,
this is the threshold to the Alps.
And this great barrier of rock is the entree
to Western Europe's great mountain range.
Now, of course, the Alps are
full of great walking potential.
But l've come here to learn about
a quite fantastical story.
It's an example of German romanticism
on the grandest scale imaginable.
It reads like a tragic fairy tale,
although unbelievably, it's a true story.
This dramatic setting is the natural
southern boundary to Germany.
Just one valley away
is the start of Austria,
but today, my walk is all about
a truly Bavarian story,
one that predates the formation
of the German nation,
a time when this area
was the playground of an eccentric king -
one who famously tried to combine his Iove of
romantic arts with his Iove of this Iandscape.
80 miles south of Munich,
the Alps are the backdrop to the Iargest
and greenest of Germany's states.
The town of Fussen is the Iocal centre
for my walking activities.
From here you can access mountains
Iike the Tegelberg.
From this viewpoint, my walk heads in
a downhill horseshoe into the mountains,
through a valley and out,
past the famous romantic
castles of Bavaria,
to the flat pastures below.
My romantic predecessors
would have had their work cut out
just reaching the start of my walk today
because l'm already 1,700 metres up,
thanks to the cable car that brings you
to the top of the Tegelberg.
But it isn't a cheat because
this is a walk that starts at the top
and then works its way through 1
7 kilometres, down to the bottom.
Today, the Bavarian Alps attract
all manner of outdoor enthusiasts,
but 1 50 years ago,
this terrain was rather more exclusive.
King Maxmilian II made use of the forest
and valleys here
as part of his private hunting reserve.
His wife, Queen Mary, preferred the simpler
pleasures of walking and climbing,
and she would have a profound influence
on her two sons -
Otto, and in particular,
Ludwig, the heir to the throne.
This is the fellow l've come to
learn all about - King Ludwig ll.
He was known as the Fairy-tale Prince.
He had a really vivid imagination and he
adored castles, and legends and opera.
But our first Ludwig landmark
is this fairly modest wooden hut.
The Tegelberg Mountain Hut was built in 1 852
as a restpoint for Ludwig's mother Queen Mary.
Without the cable car to help,
she would Ieave her castle home far below
and embark on Iong days in the mountains.
It was Mary, more than anyone, who introduced
her young son Ludwig to the joys of the Alps.
She was a pioneer when it came to walking
and this was very much her patch.
So Iet's take a Iook at where I'm heading
for my own day trip in the mountains.
My walk today encompasses
all the Iandscapes and terrains
that Mary introduced to her two children.
From the rocky peaks around the Tegelberg,
I'll walk along an alpine ridge
before descending to a hanging valley
and the forests and hunting Iodges
of the Royal Family.
But all walks in these parts are drawn
to Neuschwanstein,
the world's most outrageous castle,
and Ludwig's masterpiece creation.
This gothic folly stands proudly above
the conclusion of my walk
at the village of Hohenschwangau
and the alpine Iakes at the valley bottom.
Ah, that shimmering pool of cool-looking
water is my destination, Alpsee.
But there's a long way to go yet.
It's said that from a young age,
the future King Ludwig wandered
these mountains on visits every summer.
Growing up in the 1 850s,
the Prince was influenced by
the romantic movement of the age.
Ludwig would follow his mother to mountain
huts to indulge his Iove of reading -
the start of a Iifetime spent gaining
comfort and inspiration from the Alps.
"On the whole, l'm happy and content
in the glorious mountains.
In the awful city, l am sad and miserable,
often melancholic in the extreme.
Freedom is my breath."
In an era when European heads were thinking of
industrialisation and continental alliances,
the Bavarian heir preferred to Iose himself
in the great paintings of his royal homes.
He Ioved images of medieval knights
and Iegends of his own royal heritage.
And when it came to music,
a trip to the opera aged 1 6,
convinced Ludwig there was one composer
whose interests and themes
matched his own pertectly -
Richard Wagner.
Hm, the mighty valley.
That jagged spike in the sky
must be Geiselstein,
and then that river down below
in the valley is Lobentalbach.
My walk has reached
the Brandertleck shoulder,
a gentle arete that allows walkers to stand
at the head of two separate alpine valleys.
But until 1 60 years ago,
hardly anyone would have seen this view.
That zig-zag path over there is known as
Maximilian Way, named after Ludwig's father.
It's said he spent five weeks
exploring these mountains,
which naturally were called his mountains,
and that path is still used
by thousands of Germans every year.
It looks quite challenging to me.
But time for me to turn the other way,
and head down into the opposite valley
and my next target -
the mountain hut of Bleckenau.
That's very precise, isn't it?
An hour and three quarters. How do
they know it's going to take me that long?
I might stop for lunch.
When told to take an hour and three
quarters, you somehow don't want to be Iate!
But we British walkers often relish our
right to walk fast or slow as we please.
Maybe I've unearthed a subtle difference
in our walking cultures.
To be fair, though,
no one seems in a great hurry in Bavaria...
not that I've bumped into anyone.
And I'm certainly not going to
miss the chance to grab a good view.
Feeling a bit left out.
From this spot, I can see down into the
Pollat Valley, the next stage of my walk.
And across on the other side,
high above me now,
is the highest peak in the area -
the 2,000-metre Sauling.
Just think, 1 50 years ago...
..all of this was the hunting preserve
of Ludwig's family.
The Wittelsbach dynasty reigned
over Bavaria for more than 700 years.
Generation after generation came here
to hunt deer, goats and boar.
But it was only in the time of
Ludwig's parents Max and Mary,
that attentions turned to truly
appreciating the Iandscape itself.
In August 1 857, Mary Ied an eleven-year-old
Ludwig and an eight-year-old Otto
to the Sauling's dominant peak.
It's said they spent a full three hours
on the summit,
well Iooked after, of course, by the children's
tutor, the royal cook and several porters.
Ludwig came to the throne in 1 864,
aged just 1 8.
And it's clear, by this time,
he detested Iife at home in Munich.
And one of his first acts as king,
was to settle the debts of his troubled
but idolised friend Richard Wagner,
and bring him to these mountains.
Another alpine hut.
And it would appear
that Ludwig's love of this place
is shared by many more today.
Bleckenau is another Iegacy
of Germany's most famous royal family.
The one-time hunting Iodge
has more than enough space today
to cater for dozens of hungry and thirsty
alpine adventurers.
I've arranged to pop inside to meet the
current owner for a delve into Iocal history.
For sure, he was not a normal person.
I have read one time,
in a big newspaper in Germany,
something very interesting.
The man wrote, "l think King Ludwig
was the Michael Jackson of earlier times."
ls that what you think of him,
the Michael Jackson of his day?
Yeah, that's OK. That's
a very good picture.
Maybe it's not perfect,
but it's a very good picture, l think.
You've got some fantastic photographs here
that you're going to show me.
This is the good old days, of this -
the hunting lodge?
Yes, it's the good old days...
Oh, wow, look at that!
That's the house,
you have seen it when coming up.
It's quite different now
because the wood is very different.
This one is the same mountain, because
mountains don't change every 200 years.
This is a great picture. Now to me, that looks
like a bunch of Greeks sat having a party.
That could be my great grandmother.
And it's literally just outside, isn't it?
It is outside and l don't think
they are Greeks, but maybe...
And it's a part of the Royal Family, which
is having coffee in front of the house...
..a long time ago.
- 1 865.
- 1 865.
It's a great picture. Lots of very fine moustaches
in that picture... and that's just the women!
(Chuckling)
So the Royal Family have had a connection
with this place for a long time.
But actually doing the maths, your family have
been connected to the cabin for even longer.
Yes, for much longer now,
because, after the First World War,
things changed very much here
up in the mountains.
The history of the Royal Family was over,
and of the King,
and the new state was grown up in Germany.
And since this time, our family is
up here now in the third generation.
How many lodges like this are there
all over the mountains?
It's a difficult question. We know there
have been round about 1 20 hunting lodges.
But we must know that King Ludwig ll
was not a hunter,
he was here to relax, more or less.
It was very important for him
to go away from the crowd.
Did he and Wagner spend time in the lodge?
There are some very interesting letters
in which the King wrote for himself.
And in one of his letters, he wrote,
"Oh, Mr Wagner, if you come back again
to Hohenschwangau,
let's go up to the hut Bleckenau again,
like last year,
because it's so quiet there and we could make
some things all alone from the other people."
- So they did.
- So they did.
It was the best place for them to talk about
music, about everything they are interested.
And they have been alone.
So they could have sat here like you and l?
More or less.
- Do you like his music?
- Don't ask me.
(Laughs) That's a no!
(Laughter)
But for Ludwig, the promotion of his
beloved composer was a key part of the plan
to bring a new wave of romantic culture
to the people of Bavaria.
And my walk now heads gently downhill, through
the forest, and along the Pollat Valley,
to take in the crowning
glory of Ludwig's vision.
"Someday, when we
are both long since gone,
our work will shine for
following generations.
A bright example which is going to charm
for centuries.
And every heart will burn with enthusiasm
for divine, eternally living art!"
The fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein
is my next destination,
without doubt the symbol of everything
the eccentric king stood for,
and, as Ludwig intended,
a treasured place where the imagined world
of Wagner's operas could come to Iife.
"lt is my intention to rebuild the
old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau.
The location is the most
beautiful one could find,
a worthy temple for the divine friend
who has brought salvation
and true blessing to the world."
Today, this homage to the operas
of Richard Wagner
draws crowds Iike no other part of Germany.
It is far and away the biggest tourist trap
on any of my walks -
but I'm certainly not going to miss it.
Aha... it looks as if the peace and
serenity might be coming to an end.
It's the coach parties!
This spot attracts up
to 6,000 visitors a day.
Luckily I've arranged to meet a Iocal
expert to see me through the masses.
- Hello, Erih.
- Hello, lovely to see you.
And what a lovely dress, as well.
- How are you?
- Welcome, l'm fine, thank you.
- Good, you look lovely.
- Let's go to the bridge up here.
Absolutely!
Erih Goessler has been a guide both inside
and around the castle for 20 years.
- Nice bridge.
- L can hear the water.
Holy moly!
That's definitely a castle!
Enormous!
It's an enormous castle!
All that for one man!
Yeah. lt's great, isn't it?
It's very, very grand!
So where on earth did he get
the inspiration for such a creation?
He read books about the knights,
about the 1 2th century,
and he wanted to have
a castle like the knights.
He wanted to get in to reality everything
he had in his head, in his fantasy.
Rather than use an architect
to create his fantasy,
he engaged the services of a set designer,
didn't he?
There was a theatre
painter - Christian Jank.
And then the architect,
Dollman out of Munich,
he had to bring that stage
set, or the design, into reality.
That was not so easy.
He didn't actually spend very much time
in the castle, did he?
- That's right. lt took 1 7 years to erect the castle!
- 1 7 years?
But it's not finished!
- Lt's still not finished.
- They're restoring it now.
But Ludwig ll lived
about a half a year in the castle.
- And that was it?
- That was it.
So 1 7 years to construct
and he spent less than six months there?
- Yes, he died early.
- Lt's very sad, isn't it?
The bridge is pretty
special, as well, isn't it?
Well, this is a steel bridge
built by Ludwig ll in 1 866 -
the first steel constructed
bridge in Germany.
But before, there was a wooden bridge
built by Maximilian ll, his father.
Built for Mary,
so that she could pass the canyon,
go up the hill to the
hunting lodge up there.
Mary loved the outdoors. So this really was
her bridge to the mountain, wasn't it?
That was her bridge to the mountain.
She had a special dress for that purpose.
Like you? (Laughs)
No, no, not like me. lt was very special.
Wow, look at that!
But she was not allowed to walk in
to the mountains without trousers.
- So she has little trousers underneath.
- Both.
- She needed both.
- Lt must have been so uncomfortable and hot!
Did she approve of Ludwig's fantastical
lifestyle and his relationship with Wagner?
Queen Mary was rooted to her native soil.
She had no fantasy like Ludwig,
and she could not... understand his mind.
She believed in doing the right thing
for the country, for the monarchy...
That was her...
..and for the land.
So this is the view Ludwig would have had
as he stepped out of the mountains
returning to his dream home.
But before I continue, I need to see
the view all the way to the valley bottom,
a view that helped Ludwig decide
where to position his new castle.
Yes, here's the castle of Ludwig's parents,
where Ludwig grew up.
So that was his childhood castle.
That's where it all began
for him in his mind, certainly.
Well, you can absolutely see where he got
his passion for castles, of course.
But it's tiny compared to the castle
that he went on to build.
Well, it's just a summer castle.
It's just for holidays.
And of course,
the village wasn't here in those days.
There were just a few farmhouses. The
hotels were built later because of tourism.
JULlA: What a beautiful situation.
ERlH: A nice lake.
Ludwig ll learnt to swim in that lake.
Gosh.
The Alpsee. The lake of the Alps.
L'd better get on my
way or l'll never get there.
The Iake of the Alps, is my rather
picturesque destination for this walk...
so it's clearly going to
be all downhill from here!
- L'll see you up a mountain.
- Thank you for coming here. Bye.
And at Erih's suggestion, I'm keeping
away from the main tourist route
and Ieaving Neuschwanstein
via the Pollat Gorge.
This is the backdoor to the castle,
the route that follows the river once again
as it plunges beneath Queen Mary's Bridge.
Well, it's clear from here that you couldn't dive
off that bridge into the inviting rocky pool below.
You'd simply die.
The Pollat Gorge and its river are what
separates Tegelberg mountain
from the castle's own pedestal.
It's very strange to think that this medieval castle
building frenzy took place just 1 30 years ago,
but already great efforts are being made
to maintain the castle
and ensure it doesn't
slide off its dramatic perch.
Remember the Bavarian flatlands l was talking
about at the beginning of the walk from up top?
There they are.
Standing between me and the end of my walk
is the growing village of Hohenschwangau.
Throughout the 20th century, the
bitter-sweet story of the Fairy-tale King
has drawn more and more people.
Cementing Ludwig's place in
public affection was Walt Disney,
who used the marvel of Neuschwanstein as the
basis for his own Sleeping Beauty Castle.
But there's some sadness amongst
these crowds too,
for this was the very spot where Ludwig
came to escape the outside world.
"Do not disturb the idyllic solitude
of this romantic setting.
For there will come a time when
many other people will yearn, as l do,
for such a piece of land
where they can find refuge,
a place left unspoiled by modern culture
and technology, greed and haste,
a place far from the noise and turmoil,
the soot and dust of the cities."
This is reputed to have been one of Ludwig's
favourite spots - the sapphire waters of Alpsee.
It's where his love of landscape, art and
music all came together on his 21st birthday.
His favourite opera,
the one that inspired him the most,
was Wagner's heroic
tale of the Swan Knight.
As a 1 6-year-old, it had been the opera
Lohengrin that had first delighted the King.
The 1 2th century Swan Knights once built their
own castles in this very corner of Bavaria.
But in 1 865, accompanied by fireworks,
Ludwig was proud to stage Wagner's fantasy
tale here on the shores of the Iake.
The singer arrived
in a magnificent swan-shaped boat,
much to the delight
of the 21-year-old King,
who was so enthralled by the performance, that
he demanded a second one the very next night.
Quite what Mary, the Queen Mother,
made of all this is anyone's guess.
But she and Ludwig did of course,
share a Iove of this Bavarian Iandscape.
Both of them Iiked to bathe here,
enjoying the icy alpine waters
with its unique backdrop.
Ludwig was renowned as a strong swimmer
and it's recorded that he once swam the entire
Iength of the Alpsee in just 22 minutes.
The story of King
Ludwig ll is a strange one.
Clearly, he wasn't a great king,
and yet he's remembered very fondly.
And with every visitor that passes through
his magnificent castle, his legend grows.
But like every good drama,
this one is topped with tragedy.
In 1 886, and without
any medical examination,
Ludwig's ministers declared
him mentally ill and unfit to rule.
He was formally deposed and taken
from Neuschwanstein,
to a secure castle near Munich.
Just days Iater,
the King's body and that of his doctor,
were found drowned in the shallow waters
of the nearby Lake.
Ludwig II wasjust 40, and the event has
become one of Germany's greatest mysteries.
Whether or not Ludwig's death was an accident,
is the topic of constant speculation.
He was a good swimmer, for one.
If he did commit suicide, then why
did the same fate befall his doctor?
We know that his ministers were disappointed
enough and frustrated enough to dethrone him,
and his family were alarmed by his excessive
behaviour, his artistic tendencies.
All of that, though, is circumstantial
evidence. Will we ever know?
And then there was Mary,
who's commemorated here.
The Queen Mother didn't Ieave her bed for four
weeks after hearing news of Ludwig's death.
The woman who had been both influential
and critical of her son
was never a well woman again.
Within three years, she too was dead.
Ludwig's life was full of drama.
He had the means to live out his fantasies.
But ultimately, those fantasies took
German romanticism to a tragic conclusion.
Der Marchenkonig - the Fairy-tale King,
who didn't live happily ever after.