The theme for January’s travel adventures seemed to revolve around German Castles! If you enjoyed my previous post about Neuschwanstein Castle (the inspiration for Disney’s Castle), then you will love this one! This is Linderhof Palace, which also housed the fairy tale (some say mad) King Ludwig II before he tragically died by unusual circumstances in 1886. King Ludwig II was an imagineer, an architect and more importantly… he believed in fairy tales. Linderhof Castle was designed and built from the inner workings of his mind and I must say, what a fantastic mind he had!
Imagine a large mansion built in the middle of the German countryside and in close proximity to a medieval village and lake. Here are some pictures of the surrounding countryside…
The castle was white and had ornamental pieces decorating its exterior. I couldn’t take pictures of the inside of this castle so I will have to explain it to you. As we entered, we could tell that the King was a private person. He’s rooms were only built for one but he did not scrimp on the finer things in life. My favourite room in the house is King Ludwig’s master bedroom which was built to resemble the beautiful Chateaux De Versaille. The bed was large and covered in silk and the walls were covered in velvet. Although the King lived a life of solace, the paintings on his walls did not depict this at all. The paintings showed him in his bedroom being entertained by musicians and dancers, which was the usual past-time of most royals back then.
King Ludwig II did not waste any space in his Castle. Even the servants waiting areas were ornately designed and gilded in silver whereas the royal rooms were gilded in gold. The dining room had an almost magical table! To the untrained eye, it was a beautiful table. But to the trained eye, you can see that the table was built to move between the dining room and the kitchen where the servants were busily preparing meals for the King. Back when this table was functional, the table would disappear below the trap door underneath and then reappear filled with a delicious feast, fit for a King of course!
Now… I cannot mention the Castle without mentioning Munich. I traveled to the Linderhof Palace from Munich. King Ludwig II did not like Munich and apparently created fairy tale like rooms in the royal residence to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. I did not hate Munich, but I could see why the King would want to go into hiding. You either love or not love Munich. Munich is artistic and architecturally beautiful but during the one day I was in Munich, I did not feel attracted to it at all.
We wandered around Munich for a few hours but I’ll be honest, we even left my tour early as we were so bored. I was not impressed but I think it was because I had spent my time seeing two amazing castles earlier that week. My advice to you is – give Munich a chance but definitely go there as a base to visit Linderhof Castle! You won’t regret it!
Have you been to Germany? What is your favourite place?
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After the castles, it seems the city would indeed be boring. But it would be a different experience for everyone. Great photos, glad to see you two are well.
Thanks John, it was a great trip. I hope that you’re well too
How beautiful to see Linderhof with the snow! Wasn’t it just magnificant. I think you would have liked Munchen better in the Spring. Here is my post about Munchen, check out the market! http://the-tin-man.com/2012/02/11/munich-germany/
It was absolutely amazing. I think that if I ever go back, I’d like to see the grotto in summer. You’re probably right about Munchen, I think I’d like any city better in the spring. It’s amazing what a little sun can do
I really liked Munich, but then I visited with a bunch of mates who like drinking beer. The most interesting part for me was Villa Stuck. Franz von Stuck was an important German artist in the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) movement and his home was exquisitely decorated, I suppose he would have been Munich’s answer to Glasgow’s Rennie Mackintosh with a touch of the Dante Gabriel Rossetti about his women.
Sounds like you had a great time in Munich. I am not much of a beer drinker but I do love art so maybe I should have given Munich a chance. I think after all the excitement of the Castles, I was too tired to really appreciate what Munich had to offer
I haven’t been to Linderhof Palace but it sounds fascinating. I was in Munich last year just for a night. I didn’t have much time to get a feel for it but I can see how you might be underwhelmed after visiting fairytale castles.
Absolutely, I think I would have enjoyed Munich if it was the first place that I visited before going to see the Castles.