Linderhof Castle

In the Bavarian municipality of Ettal is Linderhof Palace, also known as the “Royal Villa.” It is the smallest of Ludwig II's three castles and the only one completed during his lifetime. As the “Fairytale King's” favorite palace, it served as his retreat.

The origins of Linderhof Palace trace back to a farmhouse from 1790, which was converted into a hunting lodge in the mid-19th century under King Max II. Ludwig II, crowned in 1864 at the age of 18, began planning new castles from 1868, as he wished to avoid the capital city of Munich. Parallel to the designs for Neuschwanstein Castle, he developed the idea of a refuge in the Graswang Valley, inspired by the Palace of Versailles. However, this project, originally known as Meicost-Ettal, proved too large for the narrow valley, leading to the construction of the New Herrenchiemsee Palace on Herreninsel from 1878. At Linderhof, Ludwig II initially settled for an expansion of the Königshäuschen (King's Little House).