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Schloss Neuschwanstein is a 19th century palace built on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near the town of Fussen in southwest Germany. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat. Construction began in 1869 on the site of the ruins of two castles from the middle ages: Vorderhohenschwangau Castle and Hinterhohenschwangau Castle. The castle was far from complete when the King died in 1886 at the age of 40.