Mad King Ludwig. What
is it about kings and emperors going insane?
The exploits and legends of crazed rulers fill the annals of history:
Caligula, Commodus, Nero, Ivan IV of Russia (Ivan the Terrible), Charles VI of
France, and Henry VI of England, all nutty as fruitcakes. But, there may be something to be said of
madness and Edgar Allen Poe said it: “The question is not yet settled whether
madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence..." Even Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe
understood the idea with her famous line: "Imperfection is beauty, madness
is genius and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely
boring." With this dear reader we
bring you back to King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
The idea of Ludwig actually being insane has been disputed but science
has long confirmed the insanity of his brother Otto who succeeded Ludwig in
1886. Whether or not the madness ran in
the family has been the subject of much debate.
King
Ludwig was not insane, rather an eccentric.
His rule was uneventful and the dreamy state in which Ludwig kept his
mind led to astonishing feats of architecture with the true highlight being
Neuschwanstein Castle. Built with his
personal fortune, the castle is a stunning example of the Romanesque Revival
style. Ludwig was particularly inspired
by the soaring operas of Richard Wagner. It is for this reason the castle is
resplendently designed and ornate. The
entire work can be explained in one word: theatrical. The castle sits high in Bavarian Alps and is
open to the public. In the summer the
grand place is packed with over 5,000 daily visitors. It is one of the most photographed and widely
recognized castles in the world. We
recommend the parking lot. One you are
parked, remove your bike from the hatch, boot, roof or rack. Strap on the helmet and get riding.
Start pedaling out of the car park and onto the
Neuschwansteinstrasse. In roughly 1.5
kilometers you will arrive at another castle, Hohenschwangau Castle (built by
Ludwig’s father—King Maximilian II).
Once past the castle you will roll onto the Furstenstrasse (“Prince’s
Road”). This will take you along the
Alpsee, an idyllic alpine lake. An
optional path encircles the lake if you need to get closer to the water. Be sure to turn onto the Unterer Kitzbergweg (if
not you soon find yourself in Austria) for a serpentine ride through dense
forest. The road will then join the
Unterer Winterzugweg which will then join the Jugendstrasse for the return to
Hohenschwangau Castle. The entire ride
will take place at over 800 feet above sea level. You may be winded. If so rest the bike at the new Museum of the
Bavarian Kings. A former luxury hotel,
the museum offers a great view of the Alpsee from the top floor. A number of walking trails cut through the
forests if you are so inclined. The ride
back to your car will take about 10 minutes.
History is kind to King Ludwig noting his mind was
sound. He simply said of himself: “I
want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others.” There’s nothing crazy about that.
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