Guest of the Fairy Tale King

Together with three other wardens, or “castellans” – the term originates from the Middle Ages and refers to the castle administrator – she is in charge of the management of Herrenchiemsee New Palace and is responsible for the supervision and preservation of the historical substance. “Ludwig II was a great admirer of Louis XIV of France. He saw in him the embodiment of the ideal monarch. He wanted to create for himself in Bavaria the exact same world in which Louis XIV lived. A second Versailles, bigger than the original.” In 1873, Ludwig II acquired the Herreninsel in Lake Chiemsee for 350,000 guilders from a consortium of lumberjacks. The suitable location for his “temple of glory” was found.

Way ahead of his time

“Ludwig II developed projects that were extremely modern at the time. For example, the “Prunkschlitten” sleigh – the first ever illuminated vehicle. A light bulb was powered by a battery, so that the king had a light on the vehicle during his night drives. It is now on display in the Marstallmuseum near Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich”, says the historian. Ludwig, also called the Moon King, loved night rides and sleigh rides. The tall monarch (1.91 metres) was fashion-conscious, wore elegant uniforms and was ahead of his time in many things. His innovative and creative ideas are reflected in the modern furnishings of his castles and their grounds.

“The illumination of Linderhof Castle grotto in the Upper Bavarian municipality of Ettal and that of the Herrenchiemsee New Palace gardens were revolutionary. It was the world’s first light show. Ludwig also used materials such as iron, which was relatively new for residences and castles of the time. At that time, iron and glass constructions were mainly used for greenhouses and orangeries, exhibition buildings and market halls”, explains the warden enthusiastically.

100 metre mirror

Those taking part in a castle tour will not only be impressed by the magnificent staircase with glass roof construction. The monarch’s dining table is also a real showpiece. The so-called “Tischlein-deck-dich” (Wishing Table) can be lowered, enabling the eccentric ruler to eat his meals without being served. Two further highlights of every guided tour: the almost 100-metre-long Hall of Mirrors with its lowerable chandeliers and the blue glass ball next to Ludwig’s bed. “When it shone, it looked as if the moon was shining”, says the warden, who herself worked here as a castle guide during her studies. “Unlike the outside area, there was no electricity inside the castle at that time. The rooms were illuminated by candlelight. Ludwig II, who called himself the Moon King, wanted to bring moonlight into the castle with the help of the blue glass ball.”

Shortly before his death the construction of the castle was abruptly ended. Ludwig was too deeply in debt. “There is no part of the castle that is completely finished. One third of the total of 70 rooms can be visited. The rest is still unfinished.”

Temple of Glory

To visit Herrenchiemsee New Palace, you have to travel by ship or boat. Four different ports serve Herrenchiemsee island. Visitors enter a time long past, namely that of the 17th and 18th centuries.

To delve deeper into Ludwig’s world, Veronika Endlicher also recommends visiting the other magnificent buildings. After all, Neuschwanstein Castle – the epitome of a fairy tale castle – is one of the most famous and popular sights in Germany.