Voters in Neuschwanstein area back world heritage status bid for Bavarian palaces

BERLIN — Voters in the municipality where Neuschwanstein Castle is located have voted to approve a bid for UNESCO World Heritage status for the 19th century palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, some of which are among Germany's most popular tourist attractions.

In a referendum on Sunday, some 56% of voters who turned out in the Schwangau municipality gave their approval to the bid, German news agency dpa reported. Officials plan to submit the bid officially to UNESCO early next year, with the U.N. body's World Heritage Committee expected to make a decision in mid-2025.

German officials hope to win World Heritage status for four of Ludwig's creations dotted across southern Bavaria. They are Linderhof Palace; Herrenchiemsee Palace, modeled on France's Versailles and located on an island in a lake; Neuschwanstein Castle, a monument to medieval culture with inspiration from Richard Wagner; and the King's House on Schachen, by far the least-known of the quartet.

Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee weren't completed by the time Ludwig, who had accumulated massive debts, died in 1886.

The local council in Schwangau opted to hold a referendum amid concern locally that World Heritage status could attract even more visitors to Neuschwanstein, already a tourist magnet, and lead to new restrictions on building in the area.

Mayor Stefan Rinke voiced satisfaction with the outcome. “With this, we have a clear remit from the population to actively support the state's initiative,” he said.