Set at the edge of the Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle (pronounced ‘noy-schvaan-stine’, in case you were wondering) looks lifted straight from a story book. But its fairy-tale facade belies a past marred by the torment and tragedy of the man who commissioned it, King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Since his untimely death prompted Neuschwanstein’s swift opening as a tourist attraction in 1886, millions have travelled from all over the world to lay eyes on the passion project Ludwig never saw realised.

Click through the gallery to uncover the bittersweet story of Germany’s most visited castle...