Schloss Linderhof

Linderhof 12, D-82488 Ettal,
Ettal
Bavaria
Germany
+49 (0) 8822-92-03-0
+49 (0) 8822-92-03-49
Fax +49 (0) 8822-92-03-11

http://www.linderhof.de

Location: Linderhof

Type: Historical Interest
Addmission Fee: €8.50 during season; €7.00 in winter
Hours: Daily Apr.-Oct. 9am-6pm; Oct.-Mar. 10am-4pm

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Schloss Linderhof is the only one of Mad King Ludwig’s palaces that wasj actually completed. It is the smallest and least pretentious of them all. Still, it uses a wide range of conflicting styles and is over-decorated inside. It probably took the Petit Trianon in Versailles as inspiration. There are many references to French King Louis XIV, with whom King Ludwig became obsessed.

Highlights of the interior include the sumptuous bedroom, a magnificent hall of mirrors, and King Ludwig’s favorite: a table that could be hoisted from a floor below so he could eat his dinner in peace without servants hovering around. The Schloss is inside a beautiful, large English-style landscape park with wonderful Alpine backdrops.

There are several interesting features in the park. Directly in front of the Schloss is a fountain with a gilded Neptune that spouts water up to 30 m (99 feet) high. King Ludwig bought a Moorish Pavillion and a Moroccan House at world exhibitions in Paris. Several structures are reminiscent of Wagner operas: a grotto of Venus (Tannhäuser), a Hundingshütte pavilion (The Valkyries), and the Gurnemanzklause hermitage (Parzifal). Admission is Euro 7 (Euro 6 in winter) and includes a compulsory guided tour of the palace available in English,

Advance reservations are possible in writing or by fax. Reservations require a small service fee, worth paying when visiting in the high season. The Schloss is 10 km (six miles) west of Ettal on the B23. It can be reached by car, hiking, cycling, or bus. The B23 is a convenient shortcut through Austria to Füssen. The road is, however, one of the first in the region to close when weather is inclement.

[Related page: Great Castles of Germany.]