Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the most popular destinations in Europe, is located in the German State of Bavaria close to Germany's border with Austria, not far from the popular ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  Neuschwanstein is a global symbol of the era of Romanticism. The palace, an exquisitely elaborate conception of King Ludwig II, served as a model for the Sleeping Beauty Castle of Disneyland and became a location for films such as Helmut Käutner's Ludwig II (1955) and Luchino Visconti's Ludwig (1972).