The castle was intended to serve as a private residence for the king but he died in 1886, and it was opened to the public shortly after his death. Since then, more than 61 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer.

No, nobody lives in Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a private, theatrical retreat, but he only lived there for a total of 172 days before his mysterious death in 1886. At the time of his passing, the castle was not even finished—only about a third of the planned rooms were completed. Just seven weeks after the King's death, the castle was opened to the paying public to help settle the enormous debts Ludwig had accrued during its construction. Today, it is managed by the Bavarian Palace Department and serves strictly as a museum and tourist attraction, welcoming over 1.4 million visitors annually. The only people you will find in the castle after hours are the specialized security teams and maintenance crews who work around the clock to preserve the delicate wood carvings and murals from the wear and tear of thousands of daily guests.