Germany: Linderhof Palace

Linderhoff Palace

Linderhof Palace or in German Schloss Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by “Mad King” Ludwig II of Bavaria. Ludwig’s other palace building projects included Herrenchiemsee, built to resemble Versailles, and the fanciful and more famous ferry-tale castle Neuschwanstein. At the time of Ludwig’s mysterious death Linderhof Palace had just been completed. It is the only one of the king’s castle building projects that he lived to see completed.

Schloss Linderhof sits in an isolated and forested stretch of the Linder River valley in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. Compared to other European royal palaces, Linderhof is unusual for its small size and present-day secluded location. Though it doesn’t compete on scale, it does compare well to the larger European royal palaces on style.

The palace gardens

Linderhof’s exterior is shows the influence of the French Rococo style; the palace grounds are attractively manicured with water features fit for a king. The outside the palace looks like a small but typically attractive European château.

While the outside looks more ordinary, the inside of Schloss Linderhof shows the unique exuberant style preferences of the Mad King. It is over-stuffed and wildly ornate. There’s a lot going on in a small space. Visitor rules do not permit picture taking inside the palace, so it is best to look at the castle’s website to get an idea of the appearance of Linderhof’s interior.

Though the inside and outside of the palace are interesting I liked most Linderhof’s location. The palaces grounds are pleasant and park-like. Situated at an elevation of 1000 meters among verdant pastures and thick woods there is a hint of the alpine terrain not too far away. Even if there were no prime attraction at the end of the road the drive up the Linder River valley would have been worth it.

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We visited Linderhof Palace in September of 2018.

The palace was busy with visitors when we visited.