Things to do in Linderhof Palace Park Germany

Set against an alpine backdrop along the rolling Bavarian countryside in Germany is a splendid palace with an amazing park. We spent part of the day visiting the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein but we also managed to explore the grounds of nearby Linderhof Palace. Come along with us and discover this royal gem.

King Ludwig II was a young king who ruled Bavaria for over 20 years before being declared insane and drowned mysteriously soon after. Ludwig was a dreamer but with limited powers as a monarch.

The eccentric king created three extravagant castles including Neuschwanstein Castle. Linderhof is the smallest but the only one finished and where he stayed the most.

Ludwig was a recluse. Not surprisingly, Linderhof was located on a secluded area surrounded by forests and hills in the Graswang valley. This was one of his retreats and where he escaped into his fantasy worlds. 

Visitors cannot see the palace from the main road or the parking lot. The ticket center, hotel, restaurants and stores are in a small quad. It’s another 5-10 minute walk to the palace on a paved trail.

Along the way, we found these swans on a pond. They were lovely greeters to this enchanting setting.

Linderhof didn’t have towers and turrets and was smaller than many royal homes we’ve seen. The palace was built where Ludwig’s father’s hunting lodge once stood. This was the front portion of the palace.

Ludwig wanted to make this residence into a mini-Versailles. He admired France’s Sun King Louis XIV a lot. He initially planned it as a “modest villa” but turned into an ornate Rococo palace resembling some of the smaller French palaces.

We didn’t get to tour the palace interior due to poor time management. We were enjoying walking around the painted houses in Oberammergau so much that we lost track of time. But, we decided to do the 20-minute drive anyway to Linderhof to see the grounds that were still open and also free.

Visitors can only see the palace’s interiors through tours. There are various languages for the tours and goes through 10 rooms. Like the other castles, visitors cannot take pictures inside. We would have loved to see the extravagant Hall of Mirrors room.

The details on the palace exterior were also beautiful. They built the reliefs and statues on the building to honor the Bavarian monarchy. But, the inside was Ludwig’s imaginary, world and homage to Louis XIV.

The Park and Gardens

While the palace may have been the main attraction of the estate, the park and gardens played a large supporting role to make this one of Bavaria’s most beautiful places. The formal garden had a large basin and fountain with gilded statues in the center.

The fountain shoots 98 feet up into the air. But, it was probably shut off late in the day since we never saw it.

The three terraced gardens with a round temple is the crowning glory. The palace’s namesake, huge, 300-year-old linden tree to the right , still prominently stands. There was once a platform built into the branches where Ludwig ate a few times.

A bust of French Queen Marie Antoinette was also at one of the arches in the garden. This was one of the side-terraced gardens. They made for lovely spaces to stroll around and relax.

The round temple at the top contains a statue of Venus. Ludwig once planned for a theater instead of the temple but decided to stick to one large building in the estate.

Ludwig’s garden designer, Carl von Effner, largely made the Linderhof Palace Park possible while fulfilling the king’s requirements of a mini-Versailles park. A very satisfied and happy Ludwig raised Effner to nobility status. I’d say it was much deserved seeing this magnificent finished park grounds.

There were pockets of gardens and flower beds surrounding the palace and everything was in full bloom during our summer visit. The west ornamental garden surrounded it with high hedges with a gilded fountain in the center. The statues depicting the four seasons surround it.

The eastern gardens were just as colorful with more statues and a golden cupid fountain. It makes one wonder how much maintenance and man power goes on with keeping these gardens so beautiful.

Behind the palace was garden with miniature waterfalls cascading down over 30 marble steps. The Neptune Fountain was at the bottom to gather the water flow. There was a Music Pavilion at the top with much of the countryside and majestic mountains behind it.

It was accessible by a long, covered trellis pathway that my kids adored. Can you tell?

There was such a huge variety of sculptures in the grounds that we almost felt like we were at an outdoor sculpture museum.

Some were a bit whimsical that made us smile.

My silly boy couldn’t resist pretending to drink from this cherub fountain.

The park also had other structures where Ludwig escaped to like Hunding’s Hut, the Moorish Kiosk, Moroccan House and St. Anne’s Chapel where he usually attended mass. But, the most popular attraction for visitors was the artificial Grotto.

Unfortunately, it was part of the palace-guided tour and we couldn’t get in. Colored lights, flower garlands surround a small lake with a shell-shaped boat where Ludwig was once rowed around the lake.

Despite not doing the palace tour and seeing some of the other ground structures, it was a worthwhile trip to see Linderhof’s exterior and grounds. There was still so much to this area we have yet to see including more of Linderhof Palace so we would love to return.

The sprawling park made this more kid-friendly than Ludwig’s other castles. My kids loved all the space to run around in the royal gardens. We hope you get the chance to explore Linderhof during a Bavarian visit.

Tips for Visiting Linderhof Palace

• Check the times for the last tour. Tour tickets must be purchased at the ticket center (by the shops) before walking to the palace.
• Admission Price: 8.50 euros for adults and children were free. The park buildings have separate admission prices or a combination ticket can be purchased.
• Buy the 14-day Bavarian Pass which allows free entry to over 40 attractions and covers Linderhof. Family pass – 40 euro ($54 US).
• Use the restrooms before walking to the castle as there are no facilities at or near the palace.
• Tours are available in German and English and last about 25 minutes for the palace and 10 minutes for the grotto.
• Opening hours: April to mid-October daily from 9AM to 6PM; mid-Oct to March from 10AM – 4PM; Only the palace can be visited during winter.
• Go early or late. We had some areas of the grounds all to ourselves with no tour buses around.

*Have you visited Linderhof or Ludwig’s other castles?