Schloss & Park Linderhof, Germany
Bavarian King Ludwig’s Fantasy Castle and Gardens near Oberammergau
Dec 24, 2007
Schloss Linderhof is the smallest of Bavarian King Ludwig II’s fantasy castles. It is also the only castle that he more or less completed – Neuschwanstein Castle and Herrenchiemsee Palace were both far from completion at the time of Ludwig’s mysterious death in 1886.
Schloss Linderhof Palace, Bavaria
Bavarian King Ludwig II (1864-1886) started rebuilding a former hunting lodge in Ammer Valley during the late 1860s, around the same time he started his more ambitious Schloss Neuschwanstein. Building progressed through several separate phases with the King frequently changing his mind. Ludwig II finally moved the lodge deeper into the park and built the small Linderhof Palace instead.
By 1876, Schloss Linderhof was mostly completed in the palace’s present form. However, alterations continued until the king’s death.
Schloss Linderhof floor plan measures only 30 x 27 m (98 x 88 feet) – relatively small for a royal palace but then Ludwig always saw Linderhof more as a manor house rather than a representative palace. In comparison, the Hall of Mirrors in Schloss Herrenchiemsee is 75 m (246 ft) long.
Schloss Linderhof rather harmoniously mixes Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo features to show some artistic unity that is largely absent from Ludwig’s other projects. The interior is richly gilded and no square inch was left unadorned.
- Wheelchair access to the palace is very limited but the park is mostly suitable for wheelchairs and strollers.
Linderhof Park
King Ludwig II had Versailles-like intentions for the park at Linderhof but it never came to things that grand. The Ammer Valley was simply too narrow for such grandiose gardens and Ludwig transferred his Versailles dreams to his most spectacular palace – Schloss Herrenchiemsee.
There are numerous structures to enjoy in Linderhof Park in addition to the formal gardens. The most prominent is the large pool with fountain that spews water up to 22 m (72 ft) high right in front of the palace.
The best views of Schloss Linderhof are from the terraces and Venus temple at the far side of this pool. Note the large tree hindering the symmetry – this 300-year-old lime tree (Linde) gave the palace its name and was not uprooted at the insistence of King Ludwig II.
Behind the palace is a huge cascade where water drops down 30 steps.
The park has several further structures, open in summer only, including:
- The Venus Grotto (Venusgrotto) – an artificial cave based on the first act of Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser.
- The Moorish Pavilion (Maurischer Kiosk) – originally part of the 1867 Paris World Fair but later bought by King Ludwig for the park at Linderhof.
- The Moroccan House (Marokkanisches Haus) – bought by Ludwig II at the 1878 Paris World Fair but only erected at Linderhof Park in 1998.
Linderhof is near Oberammergau and the monastery town Ettal in the Bavarian Alps making it a popular day trip from Munich.
See Also:
- Linderhof Castle & Park: Tickets, Opening Hours & Transportation
- Top Sights in Füssen & Schwangau
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