Mundo King - the castle of a crazy German?
Have you ever heard of the term "extraterrestrial art museum"? There is one! It's called Mundo King and is located in the Dominican Republic in a strangely shaped five-story castle, and it looks as if its creator was seriously nuts...
Rolf Schultz (the German who built this castle) was an artist, a sculptor, an engineer, an architect, and a polyglot... He was also abducted by aliens, where he gained special knowledge from them, after which he became obsessed with creating spaceships and flying saucers, even writing to various countries for grants for construction.
He decided he needed to move to the place where UFOs most frequently land. According to some calculations, this turned out to be the town of Sosúa in the Dominican Republic. It was here that the long story of the construction of the castle, which we were privileged to visit, began. If it weren't for the Argentinian we met yesterday (the one with the high ceilings), we wouldn't have even known about this place! It's no coincidence.
The castle's design is completely unique and definitely unlike any other building in the Dominican Republic (or, perhaps, anywhere in the world). I immediately noticed a resemblance to Gaudi's architectural style, but it's also a blend of many styles, plus a completely asymmetrical design. Inside, the house is filled with various statues and sculptures (made of different materials). Some were created by Schulz himself, but many were simply purchased from local artists for his collection. Some of the statues are downright creepy and frightening (people even advise against visiting this castle with small children, as it can be dangerous for the psyche), some are extremely perverse, but absolutely all of them are extremely unusual.
They say that due to the mixture of different cultures, the many esoteric and religious symbols, and especially the fact that UFOs fly here (it's said that Schulz himself wasn't the only one who saw one), this place has very strong energy. Some people might feel ill in this castle, while others, on the contrary, might feel a surge of strength. I can't say anything about that, but we really enjoyed wandering around this castle, not knowing what awaits behind the next door. All the sculptures are very interesting, with many elements, and you can spend a long time examining each one. Consequently, it's easy to get lost there for almost an entire day.
Incidentally, the castle was built not long ago (in 1990), but the German architect never completed it. Rolf Schulz died in 2018, so it was only recently possible to speak with the creator of this work of art in person.
The castle now functions as a museum; admission is 300 pesos (375 rubles).
There's a documentary film, The Mundo King, about the castle's construction and Schultz's work, filmed in 2020.
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