CASTLE OF THE BEAST : AND THE BELLE SCENERY OF THE ALPS OF BAVARIA

The Brennero project excursion took my breath away, literally! For 7 days of travel to the most beautiful places of the Alps and a cross country visit to the old towns of Europe stunned me along the way. The Urban Design project will be my main study focus for my 7th semester during my final year of Bachelor in Saxion University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands.. The project will take up 5 months of process, and the most difficult part will be interpreting the fascination of my 7 days journey to Bolzano-Italy via Brenner (Austria)/ Brennero (Italy) pass which will be the most crucial starting point of my whole project analysis. The journey starts at the 15th of September this year bringing 14 students of International Urban Design class of Saxion University of Applied sciences along with 2 of our Lecturers to complete the group. With two red Volkswagen mini busses gathered around the T building (a.k.a ROB building) of Saxion University we departed of on our cross country excursion.

Our Cross county excursion in titled “Brennero Project 2030” concentrates on the northern Alps region of Italy via Brennero pass. The excursion took us the whole week from the 15th until the 22nd of September 2010. We drove from The Netherlands in the Afternoon and waited along patiently to arrive to the next point. 

 

During our long trip to our first destination which was Fussen-Germany, I sat beside the window gazing at the beautiful typical central European scenery, rarely found in the Asian region. Clear blue skies, wonderful circumboreal views of the international network. After a few hours of driving we reached Germany through the borders of the Netherlands suddenly I came across a view of such magnificence, “The Alps”. The abreast soaring mountains of the Alps stood gallantly in front of our path leading us to the old town of Fussen-Germany where we ceased from the miles of exhausting yet amazing journey. 

source: Google map (edited)

We stopped by the town to gaze up upon the uberly astonishing castle of Neuschwanstein on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near the old romantic town of Füssen in south west Bavaria, Germany. As I pad the hoof along the mountain path of the southern Alpine foothills of Germany heading to see closely, along the way I paid attention to my lecturer span a yarn about the history of this majestic Architectural piece.

Under the commission of king Ludwig II of Bavaria this 19th century castle was built as a romantic interpretation of the middle Ages. I always randomly thought that this castle inspired the Disney princess Belle, setting for Beauty and the Beast. Since this place were really close to the border of Italy, and Belle was derived from an Italian name, maybe the Beast was meant to impersonate king Ludwig? don't know.

The setting of Neuschwanstein could not be more idyllic as stated by one of the lecturer. for its ultimate defence, the castle was located high up the mountains where people from up high can see an overview of the whole orientation, very strategic for defence against enemy attacks. This castle was also built in front of two cliffs where between it lies a bridge (Jugend) where visitors could see the magnificent view of the castle it self, as if the designer of this  masterpiece of  a towering beauty would like to show how grandeur and marvellous this is.