The Bavarian Alps Sights

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1. Schloss Linderhof

Built between 1870 and 1879 on the spectacular grounds of his father's hunting lodge, the Linderhof Palace was the only one of Ludwig II's royal residences to have been completed during the monarch's short life. It was the smallest of this ill-fated king's castles, but the charming, French-style Rococo confection inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles was his favorite country retreat. From an architectural standpoint, it's a whimsical combination of conflicting styles: lavish on the outside, somewhat overly decorated on the inside. The formal gardens contain interesting elements such as a Moorish pavilion—bought wholesale from the 1867 Paris Universal Exposition. According to hearsay, while staying at Linderhof, the eccentric king would dress up as the legendary knight Lohengrin to be rowed in a swan boat on the grotto pond; in winter he took off on midnight sleigh rides behind six plumed horses and a platoon of outriders holding flaming torches. The palace is only accessible with a 25-minute guided tour.