Linderhof castle

The first stop on our day trip to Bavarian castles was Linderhof, one of three castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria (two of which we saw), and the only one completed before his mysterious death at age 40.

Photos are unfortunately not allowed inside either of the palaces we visited, but we encourage you to google their interiors!

This palace was completed in 1886 and built in baroque and second rococo style to evoke - and sometimes even replicate - Versailles. Louis XIV of France, who lived 200 years before and built Versailles, was an idol of Ludwig's.

The palace is quite small as Ludwig was a recluse and didn't want this palace to accommodate guests of any kind.

Ludwig was found dead in a lake with his psychiatrist (also dead) the day after he was taken prisoner by his government because of apparent mental instability (in more recent years it has been accepted he was not mentally unwell, but his government was sick of him). It's unclear whether his death was murder or suicide - it's apparently unlikely to have been drowning as he was a well-documented strong swimmer.Read more