'Fairytale' Neuschwanstein castle becomes UNESCO heritage site
Neuschwanstein, perched on a rocky, 200m-high Alpine crag, is Germany's most visited castle, with almost 1.5 million people flocking there every year.
"A fairytale comes true for our fairytale castles: We are #WorldHeritage!" Bavaria's governor, Markus Soeder, wrote on X after the announcement.
Neuschwanstein combines an idealised medieval exterior with architectural techniques considered cutting-edge at the time.
Its main rooms are adorned with paintings of German and Nordic legends, the same stories that inspired composer Richard Wagner, for whom Ludwig was a generous patron.
Peter Seibert of the Bavarian Castles Administration (BSV) told AFP that the UNESCO listing "is a very great responsibility, but also recognition... for the work we have done so far in preservation".
Philippe, a 52-year-old visitor from Canada, was surprised that the castle was not already a World Heritage Site.
"We're lucky to still be able to experience this," he said, calling the listing "a very good idea".
Herrenchiemsee meanwhile evokes a Versailles in miniature on a lake between Munich and Salzburg, an homage to absolute monarch Louis XIV of France, whom Ludwig admired.
Indeed Ludwig nicknamed Herrencheimsee "Meicost-Ettal", an anagram of Louis XIV's alleged aphorism "L'Etat, c'est moit" ("I am the state").
'Part of Bavarian identity'
The third site in the UNESCO listing is the small castle of Linderhof, completed in 1878, the only one to have been finished in Ludwig's lifetime.
It mixes elements of French Baroque architecture from the reign of Louis XIV with touches of the Rococo style developed in southern Germany.
Its park boasts an artificial cave inspired by Wagner's opera Tannhaeuser, 90 metres long and up to 14 metres high, which houses a grotto of Venus and was designed as a personal retreat for Ludwig.
The electric lighting system used in the cave was state of the art at the time, with glass discs used to illuminate the grotto in different colours.
The last of the four sites on the list is Schachen, a royal house in the style of a large Swiss chalet, where Ludwig liked to celebrate the saint's day of his namesake St Louis on August 25.
It is located at 1,800 metres above sea level, not far from Neuschwanstein.
The four castles have become "part of Bavarian identity" says Seibert, "iconic and perfectly embedded in a beautiful landscape".
Ironically, while Ludwig's architectural legacy is today a source of pride in Bavaria -- not to mention tourist revenue -- they were part of the reason for his own downfall.
The ruinous construction costs of the lavish residences led the Bavarian government to depose him, declaring him insane.
Interned in Berg Palace, he died shortly afterwards in mysterious circumstances at Lake Starnberg.
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Euronews
21 hours ago
- Euronews
German castles and French megaliths become UNESCO World Heritage Sites
UNESCO has added several new sites to the World Heritage list after reviewing applications that required extensive research and presentation processes. Among them were several European sites, including the famous fairytale castles of Bavaria's King Ludwig II, the megalithic Carnac stones in northwestern France and the Minoan Palatial centres on the Greek island of Crete. Fairy tale castles At its meeting in Paris, the World Heritage Commission decided to elevate the German Neuschwanstein Castle, Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof and the royal house at Schachen to World Heritage status. The magnificent castles in Upper Bavaria have been attracting numerous tourists for over 140 years. The buildings of King Ludwig II (1845-1886) attracted over 1.7 million visitors last year alone - including many international guests, particularly from the USA and Asian countries. "The inclusion of the palaces on the World Heritage List is an outstanding honour for these impressive places," said the President of the German UNESCO Commission, Maria Böhmer. "They are all architectural masterpieces and bear witness to the artistic imagination, but also the eccentricity of the fairytale king." Germany previously had 54 UNESCO World Heritage Sites - including the old towns of Stralsund and Wismar, Cologne Cathedral, the Wadden Sea and the Roman border fortifications of the Limes. Ancient structures The French Carnac megaliths and the Greek Minoan Palatial centres are both structures from antiquity. The Carnac Stones are a dense collection of megalithic sites near the South coast of Bretagne, dating from from 4500–3300 BC. The Minoan Palatial centres, including Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zakros, Zominthos and Kydonia, were key hubs of the Bronze Age Minoan civilisation, which flourished between 2800 and 1100 BCE. The World Heritage inscription recognises the sites' historical significance, architectural integrity and the existence of a comprehensive protection and management framework. Cultural prestige Although the World Heritage title does not bring any financial support, it does ensure further international attention and cultural prestige. World Heritage status is also accompanied by UNESCO requirements that are intended to benefit the local population in particular, who are burdened by the influx of tourists. Among other things, the organisation requires a concept for effective visitor management in order to better control mass tourism. The consequences of disregarding UNESCO guidelines were demonstrated in 2009 in Dresden's Elbe Valley, where a new bridge led to the withdrawal of World Heritage status. The construction of the so-called Waldschlösschenbrücke bridge was considered to be detrimental to the "outstanding universal value" of the cultural landscape. It was the first time that UNESCO had removed a European World Heritage site from the list. Italy has 60 listed sites, the most of any country. Some notable examples include the historic centres of Rome, Florence, and Naples, the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the Amalfi Coast. Other sites that were added to the World Heritage list this week include three locations used by Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge regime as torture and execution sites 50 years ago. The inscription coincided with the 50th anniversary of the rise to power by the communist Khmer Rouge government, which caused the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians through starvation, torture and mass executions during a four-year reign from 1975 to 1979. UNESCO's World Heritage List lists sites considered important to humanity and includes the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India and Cambodia's Angkor archaeological complex.
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
'Fairytale' Neuschwanstein castle becomes UNESCO heritage site
Three other royal residences, also constructed in the late 19th Century under the famously arts-obsessed King Ludwig II of Bavaria, were also added to the coveted list: Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof and Schachen. Neuschwanstein, perched on a rocky, 200m-high Alpine crag, is Germany's most visited castle, with almost 1.5 million people flocking there every year. "A fairytale comes true for our fairytale castles: We are #WorldHeritage!" Bavaria's governor, Markus Soeder, wrote on X after the announcement. Neuschwanstein combines an idealised medieval exterior with architectural techniques considered cutting-edge at the time. Its main rooms are adorned with paintings of German and Nordic legends, the same stories that inspired composer Richard Wagner, for whom Ludwig was a generous patron. Peter Seibert of the Bavarian Castles Administration (BSV) told AFP that the UNESCO listing "is a very great responsibility, but also recognition... for the work we have done so far in preservation". Philippe, a 52-year-old visitor from Canada, was surprised that the castle was not already a World Heritage Site. "We're lucky to still be able to experience this," he said, calling the listing "a very good idea". Herrenchiemsee meanwhile evokes a Versailles in miniature on a lake between Munich and Salzburg, an homage to absolute monarch Louis XIV of France, whom Ludwig admired. Indeed Ludwig nicknamed Herrencheimsee "Meicost-Ettal", an anagram of Louis XIV's alleged aphorism "L'Etat, c'est moit" ("I am the state"). 'Part of Bavarian identity' The third site in the UNESCO listing is the small castle of Linderhof, completed in 1878, the only one to have been finished in Ludwig's lifetime. It mixes elements of French Baroque architecture from the reign of Louis XIV with touches of the Rococo style developed in southern Germany. Its park boasts an artificial cave inspired by Wagner's opera Tannhaeuser, 90 metres long and up to 14 metres high, which houses a grotto of Venus and was designed as a personal retreat for Ludwig. The electric lighting system used in the cave was state of the art at the time, with glass discs used to illuminate the grotto in different colours. The last of the four sites on the list is Schachen, a royal house in the style of a large Swiss chalet, where Ludwig liked to celebrate the saint's day of his namesake St Louis on August 25. It is located at 1,800 metres above sea level, not far from Neuschwanstein. The four castles have become "part of Bavarian identity" says Seibert, "iconic and perfectly embedded in a beautiful landscape". Ironically, while Ludwig's architectural legacy is today a source of pride in Bavaria -- not to mention tourist revenue -- they were part of the reason for his own downfall. The ruinous construction costs of the lavish residences led the Bavarian government to depose him, declaring him insane. Interned in Berg Palace, he died shortly afterwards in mysterious circumstances at Lake Starnberg.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Australia's Aboriginals ask UNESCO to protect ancient carvings site
The World Heritage Committee at UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural organisation, has been deliberating since the start of the week on what sites to include in the latest edition of the body's world heritage list. Among the dozens of sites under consideration is Murujuga, a remote area in the state of Western Australia that according to estimates houses around one million petroglyphs —-carvings that could date back 50,000 years. "It's possibly the most important rock art site in the world," said Benjamin Smith, a rock art specialist at the University of Western Australia. "We should be looking after it." The site is located on the Burrup peninsula, home to the Mardudunera people, and under threat from nearby mining developments. Making the UNESCO's heritage list often sparks a lucrative tourism drive, and can unlock funding for the preservation of sites. It does not in itself trigger protection for a site, but can help pressure national governments into taking action. "It's absolutely crucial that the Australian government takes it more seriously and regulates industrial pollution in that area more carefully," Smith said. Giant mining corporations have been active in the resource-rich Pilbara region for decades. 'Keep our culture thriving' Australian company Woodside Energy operates the North West Shelf, an industrial complex that includes offshore platforms, undersea pipelines, and hydrocarbon processing facilities. The project consistently ranks among Australia's five largest emitters of greenhouse gas, according to figures from the country's Clean Energy Regulator. "These carvings are what our ancestors left here for us to learn and keep their knowledge and keep our culture thriving through these sacred sites," said Mark Clifton, a member of the three-person delegation meeting with UNESCO representatives. "This is why I am here." Environmental and indigenous organisations argue the presence of mining groups has already caused damage with industrial emissions. They are "creating hundreds of holes in the surface. And that is causing the surfaces with the rock art to break down," Smith said. In an emailed statement to AFP, Woodside Energy said it recognises Murujuga as "one of Australia's most culturally significant landscapes". It added that, according to independent peer-reviewed studies, "responsible operations" could help protect the heritage. Woodside had taken "proactive steps", it said, "to ensure we manage our impacts responsibly". In May, the Australian government extended the operating licence for the liquefied gas plant by 40 years, with conditions. Australia insists that extending the plant -- which each year emits millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas -- does not tarnish a pledge to reach net zero by 2050. 'Measures of protection' But activists, saying the government is not taking their concerns seriously enough, demand that UNESCO make any decision to put the site on the world heritage list contingent on the government offering adequate protection. Delegation leader Raelene Cooper told AFP she wanted guarantees. "There needs to be, at the highest level, safeguards and measures of protection," she said. The Australian government has sent a separate delegation to Paris, also comprising members of the region's Aboriginal population, to push for the site's recognition. Australia's strong presence at the heritage committee meeting "is a meaningful opportunity to support the protection and conservation of some of the world's most important cultural and natural sites," Environment Minister Murray Watt said. Icomos, a non-governmental organisation partnering with UNESCO, said it was urgent for the Australian government to oversee "the complete elimination of harmful acidic emissions that currently affect the petroglyphs". © 2025 AFP
