the candidacy of Bavaria’s castles for UNESCO world heritage does not please everyone

Germany submits its application for UNESCO world heritage status on Thursday for the four castles of Bavaria. On site, this candidacy is not unanimous.

Will the castles of Bavaria soon join the UNESCO world heritage list? On Thursday February 1, Germany submitted its application for the four castles that emerged from the fertile imagination of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

The most famous of them is undoubtedly that of Neuschwanstein, a few kilometers from Austria. Built between 1869 and 1886 but never completed, the castle attracts more than a million tourists each year, making it one of the most visited sites in Germany. After about thirty minutes of walking, on the snowy path, and a final bend, the castle emerges, a white silhouette perched on its rock.

The first visitors of the day are already leaving the building. Inside, the guided tours follow one another. Unmissable stop: the throne room with its mosaic floor, the artificial cave and its stalactites and the large living room: “This entire living room is dedicated to swans, the king’s favorite animal. Even the wrought iron door handles are in the shape of a swan”specifies a guide.

“It’s a dream location and it has been restored very faithfully to the original. When you’re there at the right time, like this morning, the sun is shining behind the castle. I understand why Japanese newlyweds come to have it photographed here. Visually, it’s a fairytale castle.”

A visitor

at franceinfo

“There will be even more tourists”

In the village nestled at the foot of the building, the 3,300 inhabitants must coexist with the million tourists who visit the castle each year. Last summer, during a referendum, they agreed to the site’s listing with UNESCO. But the project continues to divide the village. Karl voted no in the referendum: “If the site is listed as a world heritage site, there will be even more tourists. I live two kilometers away. When there are a lot of people, I get stuck in traffic for half an hour and that happens very often. C “It’s like in Paris, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. And then with the exhaust fumes, it’s not good for the environment and the mountains…”points out the neighbor.

Mayor Stefan Rinke is convinced that UNESCO classification is essential. Not to attract more tourists, but to allow better maintenance of the castle, thanks to new subsidies: “It’s very expensive. Bavaria has just spent more than 20 million euros on interior restoration, such as fabrics, carpets, curtains, furniture, paintings… We have to renovate and restore regularly. C “is the same for all sites that welcome more than a million visitors each year”specifies the elected official.

UNESCO will deliver its verdict next year. If the application is accepted, the castles of Bavaria will join the 52 German sites already classified as world heritage.