The lights are gradually coming on again in castles, palaces and churches in Bavaria. At the height of the energy crisis, it was supposed to be a signal to save electricity: many cities switched off the searchlights that were used to illuminate their sights. Some lights are now on again. From Sunday onwards, Neuschwanstein Castle should also be illuminated again at night, according to the tourist office. Around 1.4 million people visit the castle near Füssen in the Bavarian Allgäu every year.
Bavaria’s second largest city Nuremberg has also announced that it will switch on the lights again – the Sebalduskirche, the historic town hall and the opera house should shine brightly again. The city of Würzburg, on the other hand, wants to have the Marienberg Fortress illuminated again. In the state capital Munich, for example, the Bavaria, the Maximilianeum, seat of the Bavarian state parliament, the Isartor, the Wittelsbach fountain and the Ludwigskirche should make the start.
For example, by switching off the nightly spotlights, the city of Nuremberg alone saved around 60,000 kilowatt hours of electricity by the end of 2022 – this corresponds to the annual consumption of 20 households. According to the Bavarian Municipal Council, this savings potential is the reason why the lights don’t come on again at night everywhere in Bavaria. “Most communities and cities will want to continue the positive experiences of the past few months,” said the spokesman for the community day, Wilfried Schober. “Only the municipalities that are heavily influenced by tourism are likely to illuminate the buildings and monuments that are attractive to tourists again.”