In addition to Hohenschwangau Castle, which was built on the ruins of the 12th-century Schwansten Fortress, there were two other small castles: Vorderhohenschwangau, consisting of a palace and a fortress, and separated only by a moat from a fortified residential tower called Hinterhohenschwangau.
By the 19th century, only ruins remained of these twin castles. The remains of Hinterhohenschwangau were converted into a viewing platform called the Sylphenturm.
