Editing Neuschwanstein Castle (section)

==Location==
[[File:Forggensee HQ.jpg|thumb|A northward view of Neuschwanstein Castle from Mount [[Säuling]] 
({{convert|2047|m|ft|disp=or|abbr=on}}) on the border between Bavaria and [[Tyrol (state)|Tyrol]]: [[Schwangau]] between large [[Forggensee]] reservoir (1952) and Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein palaces]]
The municipality of [[Schwangau]] lies at an elevation of {{convert|800|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}} at the southwest border of the German state of Bavaria. Its surroundings are characterised by the transition between the [[Alpine foothills]] in the south (toward the nearby Austrian border) and a hilly landscape in the north that appears flat by comparison. In the [[Middle Ages]], three castles overlooked the villages. One was called Schwanstein Castle.<ref group="nb">''Burg Schwanstein'' literally translates as Swanstone Castle.</ref> In 1832, Ludwig's father, King [[Maximilian II of Bavaria]], bought its ruins to replace them with the comfortable neo-Gothic palace known as Hohenschwangau Castle. Finished in 1837, the palace became his family's summer residence, and his elder son Ludwig (born 1845) spent a large part of his childhood here.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McIntosh |first1=Christopher |title=The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria |date=2012 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1-84885-847-3 |edition=Illustrated}}</ref>

Vorderhohenschwangau Castle and Hinterhohenschwangau Castle sat on a rugged hill overlooking Schwanstein Castle,<ref group="nb">Vorderhohenschwangau Castle ({{langx|de|Burg Vorderhohenschwangau}}) and Hinterhohenschwangau Castle ({{langx|de|links=no|Burg Hinterhohenschwangau}}) were collectively referred to as Hohenschwangau Castle ({{langx|de|links=no|Burg Hohenschwangau}}). Confusingly, the neo-Gothic palace built by Ludwig's father is known in English under the same name; in German, it is called ''Hohenschwangau'' Palace ({{langx|de|links=no|Schloß Hohenschwangau}}). An approximate literal translation of ''Hohenschwangau'' is High Swan District, but ''Gau'' refers to a large unforested area. The prefixes ''Vorder-'' and ''Hinter-'' identify "front" and "back" of the ensemble.</ref> two nearby lakes ([[Alpsee]] and [[Schwansee]]), and the village. Separated by only a [[moat]], they jointly consisted of a hall, a [[keep]], and a fortified [[tower house]].<ref>{{harvnb|Buchali|2009}}</ref> In the 19th century, only ruins remained of the twin medieval castles; those of Hinterhohenschwangau served as a lookout place known as ''Sylphenturm''.<ref name="AFSN4">{{harvnb|Petzet|Hojer|1991|p=4}}</ref>

The ruins above the family palace were known to the crown prince from his excursions. He first sketched one of them in his diary in 1859.<ref name="AR8">{{harvnb|Rauch|1991|p=8}}</ref> When the young king came to power in 1864, the construction of a new palace in place of the two ruined castles became the first in his series of palace building projects.<ref name="AFSN110"/> As he called the new palace New ''Hohenschwangau'' Castle, the confusing result was that Hohenschwangau and Schwanstein effectively swapped names: Hohenschwangau Castle replaced the ruins of Schwanstein Castle, and Neuschwanstein Castle replaced the ruins of the two Hohenschwangau Castles. Only after Ludwig's death was it renamed ''Neuschwanstein''.<ref name="MPB46">{{harvnb|Petzet|Bunz|1995|p=46}}</ref>