Why Neuschwanstein Castle is special
It is a bizarre castle conceived by the "Mad King" Ludwig II of Bavaria, Germany. It was built in the 19th century but was designed as a fanciful recreation of medieval castles dating back to the 12th century (when bows and arrows rather than wall-smashing canon shells ruled).
When you look at the photo of Neuschwanstein Castle, it's easy to surmise that Walt Disney's theme-park castles were inspired by Ludwig's fairy-tale design.
The interior of Neuschwanstein Castle is just as whimsical as the exterior. Highly skilled craftsmen fashioned ornate rooms influenced by scenes from operas by Richard Wagner (Ludwig was his patron).

Never completed
Decorative work on many unfinished rooms in Neuschwanstein Castle was abruptly and permanently halted in 1886 when Ludwig drowned in a nearby lake. Some historians say he committed suicide, others that he was assassinated by political foes.
Neuschwanstein Castle soon thereafter became a museum and popular tourist destination.
What leading travel books say about Neuschwanstein Castle
From a distance, Neuschwanstein Castle appears more dreamlike than real.
Europe
Frommer's

A theatre designer, not an architect, designed Neuschwanstein Castle, which helps explain the unreal decor.
Europe
Michelin Green Guides