Linderhof
Departing from Munich we drove down the Romantische Straße (Romantic Road), past some of the loveliest countryside and Black Forest scenery imaginable. It was literally like passing through over 50 miles of continuous picture postcard. One of our earlier guides mentioned that Germany's lands are comprised of over 30% green space, and I have to believe it.
We were headed out to the secluded locale of the palace of Linderhof, one of the several beautiful palaces built by "Mad" King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the mid-to-late 19th century, along with his most famous, Neuschwanstein. The idea for Linderhof was conceived after a visit to the French palace of Versailles in 1867 and Ludwig purchased the land around Linderhof, where his father Maximilian II already had a hunting lodge, the Königshäuschen. Ludwig had the palace built between 1870 - 1878 as a tribute to the Absolute Monarchy enjoyed by the French Kings. The palace was built in an elaborate rococo style recalling that of the Bourbon monarchs. This is not a showpiece for the world, but a private villa where Ludwig could retire in peace and seclusion. Linderhof was the only one of Ludwig's palaces that he saw completed in his lifetime and it was his favorite residence until his tragic death in 1886.
One of my favorite sights here was the decor of the entrance hall interior (which I couldn't get a photo of). In the center of the hall is a statue of Louis XIV of France, a copy of the statue bu Francois Girardon from the Place de Vendome. On the roof of the hall the motto of the Bourbons appears: "Nec Pluribus Impar" (Not Less Than Any -- in essence "We're better than everyone"!) This was Ludwig's tribute to the Bourbon kings, whose family line he could link with his own as his grandfather (and Godfather) Ludwig I was the Godson od Louis XVI of France. Ludwig II liked to identify himself with Louis XIV, and considered himself the spiritual successor to the Sun King.
In some ways this was good and bad. Ludwig was preoccupied with his dreams of glory and building beautiful palaces, and had no time for war and refused to go along with some of Otto von Bismarck's ideas. He wanted to protect his kingdom of Bavaria, but at the same time his lavish projects were bankrupting it. This is why there persists a great deal of speculation that Ludwig may have met with foul play.
You'll note that a number of the photos I've taken from inside the palace are rather blurry. This is because the staff insisted on no flash photography, and having only bought my camera just before the trip, I think I wasn't using the optimal setting for turning the flash off. But hopefully you will be able to get a small idea of the unbelievably ornate interiors of Linderhof.
the front gardens
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me & Dad
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Mom & Dad
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Ludwig liked statues
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flower gardens
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cascade waterfall
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Fountain
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Main Bedroom
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not enough filigree!
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the purple lounge
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crystal chandelier
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wall art
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...even the furniture
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porcelain chandelier
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porcelain flowers
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cherubim
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some guy
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sans flash
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avec flash
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reflection
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view from the pagoda
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