Linderhof – Germany Trip Blog Post #5

Saturday, May 9, was spent on another quest to see places I had studied in high school and been fascinated by ever since.

We left our hotel at 8:30 in the morning to sunny skies and a temperature of 51 degrees. The countryside we drove through was beautiful and became more breathtaking as we drove into the Bavarian Alps.

We arrived at the parking lot of the Linderhof Castle and were immediately drawn into the romance of a time gone by. Did not expect to see several couples dressed in their nineteenth-century finery.

Linderhof Castle was built between 1874 and 1878, by King Ludwig II, and was the only one of his building projects that was completed during his lifetime. As with his other projects, there was no expense spared. You may have heard of his castle 30 west of Linderhof, Neuschwanstein. It was the inspiration for Princess Castle at Disney World. It wasn’t on the agenda for us to visit that one, but I was okay with that. Linderhof was more than enough.

The gardens surrounding the palace are extensive and beautifully manicured. I wish I would have had more time to explore the grounds.

 

The other disappointment was that there was no photography allowed inside the building. It was actually relatively small inside, but the rooms were covered in opulence, gold, murals, mirrors, and statues, some of which were fanciful.

 

King Ludwig died in 1886, just shy of his forty-first birthday, under suspicious circumstances. He had become King of Bavaria when he was only eighteen and was not well-prepared for that role. His life was complicated and tragic, filled with drama, espionage, and romance. And also, sadly, a lot of loneliness.

I hope you research more about him and his castles.