A Texas Couple Found King Ludwig's Secret Unbuilt Castle Plans in Bavaria. Then They Built It in the Hill Country.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria — the "Mad King" who commissioned Neuschwanstein Castle, the structure that inspired Disney's Cinderella Castle — had secretly designed a second castle called Falkenstein before his death in 1886. He never built it. The drawings were hidden in Neuschwanstein for over a century. In 1995, a Texas couple named Terry and Kim Young found them, tracked down the original renderings from a retired museum director in Lechbruch, Germany, flew home, and built the castle themselves in the Texas Hill Country. It is now listed at $9,000,000.
How This Happened
During their 1995 visit to Neuschwanstein, the Youngs noticed drawings on display for an unfamiliar castle. Staff explained that King Ludwig had kept the Falkenstein project secret from his family — hiding the plans within Neuschwanstein itself — and that the previous museum director had taken the drawings with him to a village in Bavaria. The Youngs drove to Lechbruch, knocked on the director's door, explained their interest, and left with copies of the original architectural renderings. On the return flight, Terry looked at Kim and asked: "Sweetheart, what would you think about spending the next ten years or so building our own Falkenstein Castle in Texas?" Kim replied: "Why not." Construction began in 1996. The castle was completed in 1998. It has operated as a wedding venue and Airbnb — hosting weddings at up to $11,500 per package and short-term stays at $1,500 per night — since its completion. Terry Young has since died, and the couple's son has decided to sell.
What's on 110 Texas Acres
The 14,000-square-foot stone castle has seven bedrooms, four full and four half baths, two fireplaces, beamed ceilings, vaulted spaces, and panoramic views of the Highland Lakes from its hilltop perch. Six charming tiny homes and an apartment above a maintenance garage offer additional accommodation for guests or staff. The property first listed at $15 million in 2025 and has since come down to $9,000,000 — a reduction of $6 million from its original ask, for a Bavarian castle on 110 Texas acres with an established hospitality revenue stream and a backstory that begins with a mad Bavarian king and ends on a Hill Country hillside. The listing agent has noted interest from local wineries in the land's potential for vineyard use. Ludwig would have had thoughts about this.
The Internet Has Thoughts
Naturally, this listing caught the attention of Reddit's r/zillowgonewild community. See what people are saying about it here.
King Ludwig's secret plans, a retired Bavarian museum director, a Texas couple, and 110 Hill Country acres. The castle is $9,000,000. View the full listing here.
