A Visit To Ludwig’s Castles

We met our tour, Mentor Reisen Tours, at Karlsplatz – one tram stop from our hotel. We decided not to walk because we were going to be walking a lot today. We sat by the fountains in the square, waiting for our bus.

Our tour guide Sabine was knowledgeable and friendly. She sorted out an issue for us before we left. As we were leaving we passed one of the oldest breweries in Bavaria, Spaten, from the 14th Century.

We had a two-hour drive on a bus out in the countryside.

In the distance, we could see the Bavarian Alps.

The little villages were quintessentially Bavarian.

We arrived at Linderhof Palace which was the smallest of the three castles Ludwig II had built.

The gardens were stunning!

Unfortunately, photography of any kind is not allowed in the castle. In the front entry was a statue of Louis XIV, the Sun King. This palace was actually quite gaudy. It was 15th-century French with a lot of gold ornamentation.

After Linderhof Castle, we drove through the town of Oberammergau which was like a fairy-tale town. In fact, many of the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales are displayed in the homes.

We had lunch at Hotel Alpenstuben. I had sausage and Bruce had some kind of spetzle.

We had a beautiful view of Schloss Hohenschwangau, another of Ludwig’s castles. This one we didn’t visit.

Neuschwanstein Castle was his third and most ambitious. I believe Walt Disney used this castle as a prototype of Cinderella’s Castle.

Again I was not allowed to photograph the rooms of the castle but it was opulent although Ludwig rarely stayed here and it wasn’t completed until after his death. This is the courtyard at the main entrance.

Here is a photo of a postcard of Ludwig’s bedchamber. His bed has an ornate Neo-Gothic canopy carved in the shape of a dense forest of church spires.

Many elements of this castle featured swans including the drapes, the wallpaper, and porcelain pieces. Also, Ludwig was obsessed with Richard Wagner the composer, and helped him financially. In his bedroom, the motifs were inspired by the works of Wagner.

The view from the castle was magical. The other castle was in the distance.

There was also a good view of Mary’s Bridge.

We made it back to Munich around 7:30, just in time to have a quick bite and to go to bed!

#castles#bavaria#grimmsfairytales#vacation#beer#alpinelakes#bavarianalps

@mentorreisintours

@linderhofcastle

@Oberammergau

@Neuschwanstein Castle