Mad King Ludwig's Fantasy Castles Near Munich
Schloss Neuschwanstein, Linderhof & Herrenchiemsee Palace in Bavaria
Jul 30, 2008
Bavarian King Ludwig II (ruled 1864 to 1886) enthusiastically joined in the spirit of his time by erecting or restoring romantic palaces and castles in the historicist style. His best-known work is the neo-Romanesque, Disney-like Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle but his other two follies – the small Renaissance-Baroque Schloss Linderhof and the Versailles-inspired Herrenchiemsee Palace – are also popular day trip destinations from Munich (München).
Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace and Park, and Schloss Herrenchiemsee are owned by the state of Bavaria. The interiors can only be seen on compulsory guided tours (available in English) – reservations are only possible for Schloss Neuschwanstein. In contrast to many other sights, all three castles are open on Mondays and only closed on around five public holidays per year.
- King Ludwig’s building activities led to his bankruptcy and contributed in part to his removal from power. In 1886, he was declared mad and died under mysterious and never completely explained circumstances. He is often referred to as Mad King Ludwig although in German his fantasy castles and romantic disposition made the term Fairy Tale King more popular.
Schloss Linderhof Palace and Park in Bavaria, Germany
Schloss Linderhof was the first of Bavarian King Ludwig’s building projects. It was originally a hunting lodge and never intended to be a representative palace with space for the full Bavarian royal court. As a result, Linderhof is much smaller than his other palaces and was mostly completed during the king’s lifetime.
Linderhof Palace has a beautiful location inside a park in the narrow Ammer Valley near Oberammergau just north of the popular German ski resort Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Alps form a constant backdrop in the gardens with lovely water features and other romantic structures including a grotto and Moorish pavilion.
The small Linderhof Palace itself is a mixture of Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo with the styles mixing surprisingly harmoniously. The palace is in the middle of the park, a few minutes stroll from the main entrance and ticket windows.
Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany
Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle is by far the most famous of King Ludwig’s fantasy projects. This white, neo-Romanesque castle absolutely looks the part – it is Disney-like and it is often speculated that it inspired Walt Disney himself. The castle is perched on a rocky hill – Neuschwanstein literally means New Swan Rock – with the Alps in the background while wonderful views from the mountains include lakes, forests, and the rolling green hills of the Allgäu.
King Ludwig was a big fan and sponsor of the German composer Richard Wagner and used romantic scenes from Wagner’s operas to decorate the interior of his fantasy castle. The king was actively involved in the designing of the castle and frequently changed his mind – many staircases dead end straight into solid walls.
Schloss Neuschwanstein was never completed – although construction continued until King Ludwig’s death, in later years he concentrated on the building of Herrenchiemsee Palace. The king spent only a few nights in the castle although he spent much of his youth in the nearby Schloss Hohenschwangau.
- Schloss Neuschwanstein opened to the public days after the death of the king. The castle remains hugely popular making reservations highly advisable even during the low season.
Schloss Herrenchiemsee Palace in the Chiemsee Lake, Bavaria
Although not as instantly awe inspiring as Neuschwanstein Castle, Schloss Herrenchiemsee on a small island in the Chiemsee Lake is in many ways the most impressive of King Ludwig’s follies. Schloss Herrenchiemsee was inspired by no lesser a palace than Versailles and King Ludwig went into extremes while copying elements from the original built by his French namesake. The Hall of Mirrors at Herrenchiemsee Palace is marginally longer than the more famous one at Versailles.
The decorations in other rooms are no less opulent – the king even had the original molds of the Meissen porcelain used in the making of the elaborate candelabras destroyed to prevent further copies from ever being made. Only twenty rooms at Herrenchiemsee were completed by the time of the king’s death but these twenty alone cost more than Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Linderhof combined.
- Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace and Park, and Schloss Herrenchiemsee are very popular sightseeing destinations. Numerous train and bus connections bring the castles within easy day trip reach from Munich. Neuschwanstein and Linderhof can be combined in a single day trip from the Bavarian capital when traveling by car but cannot be seen on the same day when using public transportation only. Schloss Herrenchiemsee is in between Munich and Salzburg and a good stop when traveling by car or train between these two cities.
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