Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Schloss Linderhof
A pocket-sized trove of weird treasures,
Schloss Linderhof
( 08822-920 30; adult/
concession €8.50/7.50; 9am-6pm Apr-mid-Oct, 10am-4pm mid-Oct-Mar)
was Ludwig
II's smallest but most sumptuous palace, and the only one he lived to see fully completed.
Finished in 1878, the palace hugs a steep hillside in a fantasy landscape of French gar-
dens, fountains and follies. The reclusive king used the palace as a retreat and hardly ever
received visitors here. Like Herrenchiemsee (
Click here
)
, Linderhof was inspired by Ver-
sailles and dedicated to Louis XIV, the French Sun King.
Linderhof's myth-laden, jewel-encrusted rooms are a monument to the king's excesses
that so unsettled the governors in Munich. The
private bedroom
is the largest, heavily or-
namented and anchored by an enormous 108-candle crystal chandelier weighing 500kg.
An artificial waterfall, built to cool the room in summer, cascades just outside the window.
The
dining room
reflects the king's fetish for privacy and inventions . The king ate from
a mechanised dining board, whimsically labelled 'Table, Lay Yourself', that sank through
the floor so that his servants could replenish it without being seen.
Created by the famous court gardener Carl von Effner, the gardens and outbuildings,
open April to October, are as fascinating as the castle itself. The highlight is the oriental-
style
Moorish Kiosk
, where Ludwig, dressed in oriental garb, would preside over nightly
entertainment from a peacock throne. Underwater light dances on the stalactites in the
Venus Grotto
, an artificial cave inspired by a stage set for Wagner's
Tannhäuser
. Now
sadly empty, Ludwig's fantastic conch-shaped boat is moored by the shore.
Linderhof is about 13km west of Oberammergau and 26km northwest of Garmisch-
Partenkirchen. Bus 9622 travels to Linderhof from Oberammergau 10 times a day. If com-
ing from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, change in Ettal or Oberammergau. The last service
from Linderhof is just before 7pm but, if you miss it, the 13km vista-rich hike back to
Oberammergau is an easygoing amble along the valley floor through shady woodland.
Oberammergau
08822 / POP 5230
Quietly quaint Oberammergau occupies a wide valley surrounded by the dark forests and
snow-dusted peaks of the Ammergauer Alps. The centre is packed with traditional painted
houses, woodcarving shops and awestruck tourists who come here to learn about the
town's world-famous Passion Play. It's also a great budget base for hikes and cross-coun-
try skiing trips into easily accessible Alpine backcountry.
