Ludwig's second castle was also his favourite. It also tends to be the favourite of many visitors to the three 'Königsschlößer', or Royal Castles. It is small and intimate as opposed to vast and heavy like Neuschwanstein, or lavish and impersonal like Herrenchiemsee. Unique among the three castles is the fact that Linderhof was completed in the King's lifetime, and that he stayed there regularly.

Inspiration

At about the same time as Neuschwanstein was being planned, Ludwig was taken by the idea of turning his father's tiny hunting lodge of Linderhof into something grander. The first plan was of a huge palace in the Byzantine style, based loosely on Hagia Sofia in Istanbul and other Islamic buildings. But during the King's visit to Paris in 1867, he went on an excursion to Versailles, the massive Palace of Louis XIV, XV and XVI. It was here that the idea for building a replica of Versailles came to him, as well as a life long obsession with the Bourbon Kings of France. Seven plans for the new Versailles were drawn up between 1868 - 1869, but it was on the island of Herrenchiemsee where this vast Palace was destined to be built. Linderhof evolved into a small, Royal Villa, making it unique among the three castles. It can be compared to the Trianon at Versailles, Louis XIV's small retreat where he could escape the crowds at the large Palace.

Building

Building began at Linderhof in 1874, and due to Ludwig pushing his workers harder and harder, was completed only four years later in 1878. The original wooden hunting lodge (really a chalet) was moved to another spot within the park. Ludwig desired the interior to be built in the style of Louis XV, and once again, as with Neushwanstein, the stage designer Christian Jank, as well as the Director of the Munich Court Theatre, Franz Seitz, supplied many designs. The Royal Architect, Georg Dollmann was responsible for the overall building.

The interior is a mixture of Alpine Rococo and Louis XV Rococo. But where genuine Rococo is light, airy and almost 'fluffy' in feel, Linderhof's Rococo is heavy and ponderous. Instead of tiny, delicate cherubs flitting among the ceiling's painted clouds, we find large, near full-sized gilded babies playing amongst the other gilded woodwork. The fact that stage designers had a major part in this Palace possibly works to it's disadvantage here. The often cited comparison of the Amalienburg in the park at Nymphenburg Castle to Linderhof shows this. Amalienburg is a delightful piece of Rococo whimsy; Linderhof doesn't have the same feeling. However, it is the only one of Ludwig's Castles that has an air of domesticity about it. It looks and feels like it is a house where one could really live. For this reason many visitors name Linderhof as their favourite Ludwig Castle.

The Park

Perhaps the jewel in Linderhof's crown is the gardens. They were laid out at the same time as the castle was being built, and these were completed around 1880. One of the highlights of the gardens is the large fountain at the front of the Castle. When the jet of water from this fountain shoots into the air, it is a marvellous sight. Another major feature of the park at Linderhof was the buildings scattered throughout the vast park, many of which were devoted to Wagner's operas. Unfortunately, there are now only two remaining, as the rest fell down earlier this century due to being poorly built.

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