Nestled in the beautiful Bavarian countryside
sits an opulent palace built for a king,
with grounds that are a delight to explore.
We visit the Linderhof Palace in Germany on a perfect sun filled day,
and learn what happened to the King who built it.
We stay near Fussen as we explored a number of sights in the area.
Although relatively unknown, the Linderhof Palace
was a definite highlight of our Bavarian visit.
Linderhof Palace was built by Ludwig II,
the king of Bavaria from 1845 to 1886.
He also built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.
Although Neuschwanstein was never completed in his lifetime,
Linderhof Palace was, and the King enjoyed spending time here.
His father had a lodge in this location which was used for hunting expeditions.
It was taken down as the palace was built.
The palace was built in phases and completed in 1886.
The King was attempting to rival the opulence of Versailles on a much smaller scale.
The unmarried king spent much of his last eight years here,
living alone in his royal fantasy world, emulating King Louis of France.
Ludwig’s downfall was over spending on lavish projects,
the most famous being Neuschwanstein Castle and Herrenchiemsee Palace,
in addition to Linderhof.
Heavily in debt, with no signs of slowing the out-of-control spending,
he was living well beyond his means, while planning more large projects.
So, the Bavarian government found a doctor to declare him insane,
then put under guard and transported to Berg Castle.
3 days later, he and the doctor took a long walk along Lake Starnberg.
A search party later found them both dead in the lake
- the doctor showing signs of a struggle.
Ludwig was declared drowned by suicide
even though he was a good swimmer
and an autopsy showed there was no water in his lungs.
Oddly, members of the search party were sworn to secrecy.
Years later reports surfaced claiming Ludwig was shot
while attempting an escape via boat.
His death at the young age of 40 is still a controversy to this day.
Ironically, the castles he built, the cause of his demise,
are today extremely popular attractions.
They have paid for themselves many times over
as a major tourist attraction in Bavarian Germany.
Behind the palace, is Ludwig’s Grotto.
Unfortunately, when we visited, it was closed for reconstruction & restoration,
scheduled for completion in 2024.
Inspired by a scene from his favorite opera,
Ludwig had the grotto built from scratch.
Inside is an artificial cave with an artificial lake,
a waterfall, a stage, and a swan boat.
The area was heated by brick ovens,
and was Bavaria’s first use of electricity
with generators to power color-changing lights,
fountain and a wave machine.
It was his own private theater where he enjoyed his favorite opera performances,
often only himself in attendance.
The interior of Linderhof Palace is fabulous.
Unfortunately, they don’t allow cameras inside,
but is well worth the paid visit.