Schloss Linderhof (Linderhof palace)

“Enchanting” isn’t a word I use willy-nilly.

I find myself, however, busting at the gums to think of a better term for the slice of heaven they call Linderhof.
This pint-sized palace was the favourite address of Bavaria’s “fairytale king”, Ludwig II, after a quick tour you’ll understand why.

ALPINE EXCURSION: Schloss Linderhof is at the foot of the Bavarian Alps.

It took my friend Petra and me a good hour driving south from Munich to see
Linderhof, stopping in at Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a quick coffee along the way.

Expectations were high, I’d say almost as high as the Alps we were heading towards. It would be hard to beat Neuschwanstein, Ludwig II’s infinitely more famous fairytale castle they’re now calling the eighth wonder of the world.

Compared to Neuschwanstein this palace was tiny. And quiet. Only a few groups of tourists were lingering at the long pool in the forecourt. It’s an incredibly peaceful setting nestled in a valley at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. Ahh…the serenity! So much serenity.

MAGNIFIQUE: Schloss Linderhof was inspired by French Sun-King Louis XIV.

The tour begins...

An English-speaking group assembled in the
vestibule (entrance hall) where a tour guide came out to meet us.

She said this was Ludwig’s favourite home, built on the site of his father’s old cottage and finished in 1878.

Ludwig lived over seven years of his life here compared to his 11 nights
at Neuschwanstein before he was declared insane and carted away.

The guide said Ludwig drew inspiration for Schloss Linderhof from his hero French “Sun-King” Louis XIV. Traces of the Sun-King’s Versailles palace are all over the palace and grounds.

We were led through a succession of rooms, each somehow more opulent than the next. First stop up the stairs was a tapestry chamber. Talk about spiffy! Every wall, chair and chest of drawers was gilded in gold and a fine mural graced the ceiling.

Next up the audience chamber. Quite small, but then again, the king never asked anyone over for tea and crumpets.
Ludwig was an incredible recluse and preferred to study in here, devouring books on art and architecture and thinking up grandiose schemes to glorify his kingdom. Still, I couldn’t imagine a finer setting for an afternoon sandwich with the Queen of Spain or whoever.

IMMACULATE: The palace and grounds of Schloss Linderhof were exquisitely designed.

The masterful bedroom

Schloss Linderhof's audience chamber was amazing enough, but the bedchamber had me dropping my jaw. It’s the largest room in the palace and crowned with a 108-candle crystal chandelier.

The golden balustrade blocking off the bed had me scratching my chin. Surely a recipe for disaster. Just think of the trips he must have had making midnight runs to the bathroom after a hand day’s night on Bavarian beer!

The tour guide explained that the balustrade was to give the Ludwig’s resting place the appearance of an altar, further glorifying his kingly goodness.

Ludwig subscribed to the absolutist school of rule, believing the king was anointed by God and could do whatever the hell he liked.

Next up was the dining room, where Ludwig dined alone. I mean really alone. Ludwig had a “magic table” installed which could be lowered and raised to and from kitchen.

Staff cooked and served meals without ever coming face to face with the king. But who would he have complained to if there was a fly in his soup?

The final showpiece room was the Hall of Mirrors. Ludwig used to stay up late at night reading by candlelight reflected into infinity. He had the two mantelpieces decorated with lapis-lazuli gemstone and paced back and forth on an ostrich plume rug.

PERSPECTIVE: The palace grounds have some spectacular look-out points.

Gardens of pleasure

The tour done, we strolled the ornamental gardens and found a few more echoes of the French “Sun-King”. A flower bed shaped like a bourbon emblem graced the back courtyard and a bust of Louis XIV lorded over the eastern terrace.

At the back of the palace we found the cascade, an artificial waterfall streaming gently down 30 steps and culminating at a statue of sea god Neptune at the bottom. We headed up the hill to the Venus Grotto.

This was an artificial cave cut out of the rock. Made for private performances of Richard Wagner’s operas, it has a small lake, a waterfall and one of the first electric lighting systems in the kingdom.

The lights could even change color to suit the mood of the scene being played out.
Ludwig would swan about on the lake in a shell-shaped boat while actors and musicians got it on for an audience of one. How’s that for some royal privilege!

Walking back to the car we peeked into some of the other outbuildings. There was a cute Moroccan cottage and a Moorish Kiosk with a peacock-themed throne.

FANTASIA: The Venus Grotto at Schloss Linderhof was Ludwig's private theatre.

They say Ludwig liked to live out flamboyant fantasies within.
His servants donned Eastern gowns and sat cross-legged smoking hookah pipes as musicians and dancers entertained.

The palace and gardens had me thrilled. As good as Neuschwanstein? Every little bit and more.

I also felt a tad envious that I wasn’t born a king
and have such fine digs.

But then I suppose I wouldn’t have had Ludwig’s obsession for beauty needed to create something like Linderhof.

Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Day Tour from Munich Cost: from €49 Duration: About 11 hours You start this tour with a visit to Schloss Linderhof. Then you'll scoot over to the nearby village of Oberammergau for a shopping/sightseeing expedition. It's a gorgeous place, full of picture-postcard old houses with the backdrop of the Alps. Then you'll head over to Hohenschwangau where you can explore the castles Schloss Hohenschwangau and the big daddy of them all, Schloss Neuschwanstein. (Read more about the tour)

Suggested pages Halls of kings - the Munich Residenz The Konigshaus am Schachen - Ludwig's mountain retreat See more Day Trips from Munich Return to Destination Munich Home