Everyone has come to know and love the image of the castle that plays before all your favorite Disney movies, the soaring fantasy structure surrounded by magical fireworks. Very few, however, are aware of the dark history that lurks within the walls of the real castle which inspired Walt Disney in the first place.
The Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most majestic constructions not only in Germany, but in the whole of Europe—though it is far from a fairy tale. Many years ago, the so-called Mad King Ludwig II created the castle as an escape into eccentric fantasies, but he was later declared mentally insane before dying in mysterious circumstances, leaving many unanswered questions in his wake.
Click through to see the castle that inspired the trademark Disney logo, and meet its haunting fairy-tale king.