Linderhof Palace is the smallest yet most personal of King Ludwig II of Bavaria's royal residences - and the only one he saw fully completed during his lifetime. Tucked away in the Graswang valley in the Ammergau Alps, it dazzles visitors with lavish Rococo interiors and an equally spectacular park.

The setting blends a formal French-style garden with the surrounding alpine landscape - terraces, cascades and fountains climb the hillside around the palace, creating a dramatic scene in every season. In summer the gardens burst into life with fountains and flowerbeds, while in winter the mountain backdrop lends the whole place a dreamlike, fairy-tale atmosphere. It's a place where Rococo splendour meets untamed alpine nature.

How to get there

• Ettal / Oberammergau — access by local road to the palace car park, followed by a short walk, easy route
• Bus connections available from Oberammergau or Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Practical information

• Managed by the Bavarian Administration of State-owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes
• In 2025 Linderhof, together with Ludwig II's other palaces, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• The park features the artificial Venus Grotto, the Moorish Kiosk and the Hunding's Hut
• In 2018 the palace welcomed over 437,000 visitors

Behind the gilded, richly decorated facade hides a timber structure - Ludwig II insisted on using local wood and local carpenters for the construction, though nothing on the outside gives it away.