Picture a wooden royal chalet perched at 1866 m, reachable only on foot or by bike, hiding a hall straight out of the Arabian Nights. Königshaus am Schachen is one of the most extraordinary places connected to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, and since 2025 part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Built between 1869 and 1872 in Swiss chalet style, it looks modest from outside, with wooden shutters and carved balcony railings. But upstairs lies the Turkish Hall, a lavish Moorish-style room modeled on a palace in Eyüp near Istanbul, complete with a fountain, precious carpets, gilded carvings and stained glass. The surrounding Wetterstein mountains offer stunning views, and in summer, when alpine meadows bloom, the walk becomes a real pleasure. In winter the route is closed and demands serious mountain experience.

How to get there

• Schloss Elmau — via the forest road now called Königsweg, about 6-7 hours round trip, moderately demanding
• Along the way you pass the Wettersteinalm and the Schachensee lake, 200 m below the house

Practical information

• The former farm buildings now house the Schachenhaus mountain hut
• Below the house lies an alpine garden founded in 1901, with over 1000 mountain plant species from around the world
• Every year on August 25th, the king's birthday, a traditional mountain mass is held here

In 1873, Ludwig II received the writer Felix Dahn here for a nearly six-hour, heated political conversation, one of the very few visitors the reclusive king ever welcomed.