Linderhof Castle, Germany

Linderhof Castle, Germany
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 68 cm x 48 cm
Manufacturer: RoseArt, No. 21030
Puzzle: Linderhof Palace is in Germany, in southwest Bavaria near Ettal Abbey. It is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.

The gardens surrounding Linderhof Palace are considered one of the most beautiful creations of historicist garden design, designed by Court Garden Director Carl von Effner. The park combines formal elements of Baroque style or Italian Renaissance gardens with landscaped sections that are similar to the English garden. [Wiki]

Lovely puzzle, the part with green trees and bushes takes a bit of time to assemble and benefits from having good lighting.

Good places to start: red flower bed, green water, pavement, staircases, the sky, and the building, then the fountain statues, flower pots, and the remaining paved areas. Once that’s done, finer distinctions in shade, hue, and texture are needed to complete the large tree in the foreground, the rest of the garden, and the trees in the distance.

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Winter at Neuschwanstein Castle

Winter at Neuschwanstein Castle
Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 48 cm x 36 cm
Manufacturer: TCG, #58805-23
Author: Hans Peter Huber
Puzzle: Another beautiful rendition of Neuschwanstein Castle, this one has a magical feel to it, with the sky in sunset colours and grounds sleeping under the snow.

The easiest place to start is the sky with its many gradients and islands of colour. The castle can come next. The trees and the grounds are a bit more tricky, since there are only shades of blue and black, yet as the puzzle is not big, the challenge is not great.

This puzzle came as part of a package of five 500-piece puzzles.

Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle in 3D

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full left, medSize:  98 pieces
Dimensions: 41.5 cm x 18 cm x 33.5 cm
Producer: CubicFun, 3D Puzzle series MC, #MC062h, complexity 5/6

Puzzle: Following the St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Taj Mahal, and the Parliament Buildings of Canada 3D puzzles, I am now perpetually on the lookout for other higher-complexity puzzles made by CubicFun, and my partner found one in a nearby toy store (Mrs. Tiggy Winkles), getting it for me as a surprise the weekend when I was sick.

Here is the box, the booklet (see below for the historical information contained therein) and sheets with puzzle pieces.

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, package contents, med

I have done this in three stages:

1. Separating all the pieces from the sheets in which they were embedded.

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, pieces, med

2. Punching out the holes in the pieces (I used a tip of a mechanical pencil).

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, punched, med

3. And putting together the puzzle itself. Below are the progress photos:

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, base, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, two bases, md

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, two buildings on base, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, first two buildings, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, closeup, md

 

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, towers, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, balcony, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, red part separate, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, stairs, medNeuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full yellow towers, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full tower closeup, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full right, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, 5 towers, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, front, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full big tower, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, rull red yellow, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full red, med

I have quite enjoyed this puzzle. It is well-made and the castle looks beautiful when assembled.

Notes from the puzzle booklet:

Please note that I have not changed any spelling or grammar.

“The world’s famous architecture we build it. Neuschwanstein.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein is a 19th-century Bavarian palace on a rugged hill near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner, the King’s inspiring muse. Although public photography of the interior is not permitted, it is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.

Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. Every year 1.3 million people visit “the castle of the fairy-tale king”. In the summer around 6,000 visitors a day stream through rooms that were intended for a single inhabitant.

The prince was born on the name day of the canonized Louis IX, King of France and founder of the House of Bourbon. Ludwig II was possessed by the idea of a holy kingdom by the Grace of God. In reality he was a constitutional monarch, a head of state with rights and duties and little freedom of action. For this reason he built a fantasy world around him in which – far removed from reality – he could feel he was a real king.

The conception of the palace was outlined by Ludwig II in a letter to Richard Wagner, dated May 13, 1868; “It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau near the Pollat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights’ castles… the location is the most beautiful one could find, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world.”

Woodcarving in Ludwig’s bedroom took 14 carpenters 4 1/2 years to complete. The Monarch’s bed is crowned by the most intricate woodcarving and covered with richly Embroider draperies.

Gardons were built behind the Neuschwanstein Castle.

The Throne Room was created as the Grail-Hall of Parsifal. It was designed in elaborate Byzantine style. It was inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul), the 2 story throne room with its series of pillars of imitation porphyry and lapis lazuli, was completed in the year of the Kings death in 1886.

The throne room, which features a glass gem-encrusted chandelier; all Twelve Apostles and six canonised kings are painted on the wall that surrounds the pedestal for the throne – the actual throne was never finished.

Just imagine a mysterious stalactite cavern just between the Living Room and the Study Ludwig II. Magnificent and charming!

The region is full of mountains, forests, meadows, lakes, cycle paths… It proposes more you can ever think possible.

Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. It is also nominated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Every year 1.3 million people visit “the castle of the fairy-tale king”. In the summer around 6,000 visitors a day stream through rooms that were intended for a single inhabitant.” [Puzzle booklet]

Puzzle: Flowers in Bavaria, Germany

Flowers in Bavaria, Germany, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 45.4 cm x 67.31 cm
Producer: Wrebbit, Perfalock series, #50653-05

Puzzle: A very pleasant puzzle for the eye, it can lighten up your mood if you like flowers. Since many of the bouquets are distinct in colour, it’s relatively easy to start with any of them and continue bouquet by bouquet. The white pole and the paper pieces with prices can serve as guides as well.

Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany, med
Size
: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: Another puzzle of the Neuschwanstein Castle, in addition to the 500-piece, the Ravensburger 500-piece, the 1000-piece, and another 500-piece puzzles I’ve assembled previously. Not the greatest view, as the castle takes up only a third of the picture, and the uniform black of the forest and blue of the mountains comprise most of it. Other than that (and a little glue damage, due to this puzzle being quite old in my collection), it’s not too boring to assemble. The sky and the mountains can be tackled first, followed by the castle itself, and the trees might present a bit more of a challenge, albeit offset by the small size of the puzzle.

Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany, med
Size
: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 36.0 cm x 49.3 cm
Producer
: Ravensburger, Otto Maier Verlag, 1984, #14 138 8

Puzzle: Yet another puzzle of this beautiful castle, in addition to the 500-piece, the 1000-piece, and another 500-piece puzzles I’ve assembled previously. This one features clear photography, good angle, and pieces that fit together well. The easiest places to start are the sky and clouds, the orange part of the castle, the green of the grass, the boundary between the castle and the sky, and the sky and the trees, followed by the rest of the castle. The houses in the background and the trees around the castle can then follow.

Puzzle: Ludwig’s Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Ludwig's Castle, Bavaria, Germany, med

Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 45.5cm x 35.5cm
Producer: Leap Year

Puzzle: Not a bad puzzle as far as the picture goes, but the manufacturing process appears to be faulty: many pieces are bent out of shape and do not fit together well, taking away from the assembling experience. The puzzle itself is relatively easy to put together: the sky, the fields, and the castle are good places to start. The trees are a little more challenging, so good lighting is good to have for assembling the bottom part. Overall, nothing special: showing more castle and less of the tree area would make this puzzle more enjoyable. There are better puzzles depicting this castle, I’ve previously put together two: in 1000 pieces and 500 pieces.

Notes: Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and by means of extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Breman, Germany

Breman, Germany, med

Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 27.3 cm x 45.7 cm
Producer: RoseArt, Encore series, 1999, 06052

Puzzle: Small and very pleasant puzzle to do – the windmill, the brick building, and the gradient in the sky makes those parts not difficult to complete, and the snowy tree limbs pieces fall into place following that.

Notes: The puzzle box actually says “Breman, Germany” – I assume they meant “Bremen, Germany”.

Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle 2, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73cm x 48.5cm
Producer
: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Photo Gallery 10 puzzle pack, #40617-13
Notes: I have put together another puzzle of the Neuschwanstein Castle before, 500 pieces.

The inspiration for the construction of Neuschwanstein came from two journeys [of Ludwig II] in 1867: one in May to the reconstructed Wartburg near Eisenach, another in July to the Chateau de Pierrefonds, which Eugene Viollet-le-Duc was transforming from a ruined castle into a historistic palace.

The king saw both buildings as representatives of a romantic interpretation of the Middle Ages as well as the musical mythology of his friend Richard Wagner. Wagner’s operas Tannhauser and Lohengrin had made a lasting impression on him.

In February 1868, Ludwig’s grandfather Ludwig I died, freeing the considerable sums that were previously spent on the abdicated king’s appanage. This allowed him to start the architectural project of building a private refuge in the familiar landscape far from the capital Munich, so that he could live his idea of the Middle Ages. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Castle Mespelbrunn

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer:  The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Photo Gallery 10 puzzle pack, #43550-26
Notes: Mespelbrunn Castle is a medieval moated castle on the territory of the town of Mespelbrunn, between Frankfurt and Wurzburg, built in a remote tributary valley of the Elsava valley, within the Spessart forest. One of the most visited water castles in Germany, it is frequently featured in tourist books.

In 1957 Mespelbrunn Castle was one of the locations of the German film Das Wirtshaus im Spessart (The Spessart Inn, 1958), based on a fairy tale by Wilhelm Hauff. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle


Size
: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Images
Notes: Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Fussen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner.

The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and later, similar structures. Neuschwanstein embodies both the contemporaneous architectural fashion known as castle romanticism (German: Burgenromantik), and Ludwig II’s immoderate enthusiasm for the operas of Richard Wagner. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Moritzburg Castle, Saxony, Germany


Size
: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer
: Big Ben, MB Puzzles
Notes: The original castle was built from 1542–1546 as a hunting lodge for Moritz of Wettin, then Duke of Saxony. Elector John George II of Saxony  had it extended and between 1661 and 1671 the chapel was added after designs by his architect Wolf Caspar von Klengels, a fine example of the early Baroque style. After in 1697 John George’s grandson Elector Frederick Augustus I had converted to Catholicism in order to secure his election as King of Poland, the chapel was consecrated in the Catholic rite. Between 1723 and 1733, Augustus had the castle largely remodelled as a pleasure seat by the architects Matthaus Daniel Poppelmann and Zacharias Longuelune, including a formal park, several ponds and a game preserve. The last resident from the House of Wettin was Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony, dispossessed in 1945 by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Bremen, Germany


Size
: 500 pieces, 3 missing
Dimensions: 35cm x 48cm
Producer: Canada Games, Windsor
Location: The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area (2.4 million people). Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.

Bremen is connected with a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the Town Musicians of Bremen, although they never actually reach Bremen in the tale. [Wiki]