Schloss Herrenchiemsee: König Ludwig II. ließ das Schloss ab 1878 auf der größten Chiemsee-Insel errichten
Royal Bavaria

Explore the magical world of Bavarian palaces and castles! Between the Alps and the River Main, castles that are as fairytale-like as they are rich in history await you. Follow in the footsteps of royal tradition and discover some architectural gems

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Castles in Bavaria: 16 tips that you should see

The Marien Bridge over the Pöllat Gorge offers the perfect view of Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Dream castle above Füssen in the Allgäu. Global icon for Bavaria and Germany. Romantic setting against the backdrop of the Ammergebirge mountains. King Ludwig II (1845 to 1886) planned this idealised medieval knights’ castle as his own private retreat – for himself alone! The design was based on the Wartburg in Thüringen. It was rebuilt in the 19th century in Historicist style.

Work on Neuschwanstein Castle began in 1869. Many of the paintings in the interior feature operas by Richard Wagner, whom Ludwig idolised. However, it also boasts the latest technology of the time, such as hot air central heating and an electrical call system. Ludwig only spent a few months in the castle, dying in 1886 before it was fully complete. The castle was opened to the public just a few weeks later. Today, Neuschwanstein Castle is the top tourist attraction in Bavaria.
neuschwanstein.de

Story Tip: Neuschwanstein Castle: Behind the Scenes of a Restoration

Schloss Herrenchiemsee: König Ludwig II. ließ das Schloss ab 1878 auf der größten Chiemsee-Insel errichten

Herrenchiemsee New Palace

King Ludwig commissioned this palace in 1878 on the largest island on Lake Chiemsee. It is modelled on the Palace of Versailles. It pays homage to the absolutist French Sun King Louis XIV and is both a glorification of the divine right of kings and Ludwig’s last great building project. He only spent a few days there. Work on the “Bavarian Versailles” was stopped after his death in 1886 and the building remained incomplete. Like Neuschwanstein Castle, this palace was designed as a private retreat. The most expensive of his building projects!

Highlight rooms: State Staircase, State Bedroom and Great Hall of Mirrors (two metres longer than the one in Versailles!). Of the park, also designed to emulate Versailles, only the elements along the main axis with fountains and water features were realised. Today a museum about King Ludwig II has been installed in the south wing.
herrenchiemsee.de

Story Tip: Behind the scenes at Herrenchiemsee Palace

Abends am Nymphenburger Schloss

Nymphenburg Palace in Munich

Founded in Munich as a summer residence for Bavaria’s rulers in 1662 and based on Italian designs. The palace assumed its current dimensions (wider than Versailles!) under Elector Max Emanuel (1662 to 1726). Along with the palace, the complex features a park with a large waterfall, four pavilions (including the Amalienburg, a Rococo masterpiece) and a Grand Circle.

Nymphenburg is one of Europe’s great royal palaces. The interior was created by renowned artists such as François de Cuvilliés and Johann Baptist Zimmermann. The most famous highlight: the “Gallery of Beauties” (38 portraits of Munich’s society women, including Lola Montez), commissioned by King Ludwig I. Mozart once played in the palace and it is where Ludwig II was born (25 August 1845).

Today, the palace also boasts a large collection of carriages as well as a porcelain manufactory and collection. The House of Wittelsbach still has right of residence in the palace.
schloss-nymphenburg.de

Schloss Linderhof in Ettal: Vorbild für das Schloss waren französische Lustschlösser des 18. Jahrhunderts

Linderhof Palace

As Crown Prince, Ludwig II used to stay in a forest lodge in the Ammergau Alps when hunting with his father, Maximilian II. A long period of building and renovation began in 1869 and resulted in the Linderhof Palace. The second most popular castle in Bavaria.

It is the only one of his major castle and palace projects that Ludwig lived to see completed. Its design was based on the French pleasure palaces of the 18th century. Various motifs of Bavarian Rococo can be found here. Richly decorated interior. Bedroom in the style of the French Sun King. Palace garden with many decorative buildings: water basin with fountain, cascade with Neptune fountain, Moorish kiosk and more.

The famous Venus Grotto: an artificial stalactite cave with a lake and a waterfall as well as electric lighting. The power comes from a Siemens dynamo in a special machine house - considered one of the first power plants in Bavaria.
schlosslinderhof.de

Blick auf Schloss Neuburg an der Donau

Palace of Neuburg at the Danube

The impressive building dates back to a late Gothic ducal castle. In the 16th century, Count Palatine Ottheinrich had the city palace of Neuburg extended in the Renaissance style, which was later expanded again and again. Today it is a complex with four mighty wings around an inner courtyard with arcades and sgraffiti, paintings in a sophisticated stucco technique.

The two-storey castle chapel, painted with a Lutheran pictorial programme, is regarded as an outstanding monument to the Reformation and is the earliest Protestant church in existence. The baroque castle grottoes are also exceptional. Shining brightly and with two round towers, the palace is one of the most beautiful historical silhouettes in Bavaria on the banks of the Danube.

The castle festival, a Renaissance spectacle, takes place in Neuburg every two years. The castle museum also houses the Neuburg State Gallery, a branch gallery of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
schloesser.bayern.de/englisch

Blick auf die Markgräfliche Residenz und das Bronze Pferd Anscavallo in Ansbach

Ansbach Residence

The Margravial Residence, also known as the Ansbach Residence, is a magnificent Baroque palace in the Bavarian town of Ansbach. Originally built as a Gothic moated castle, the palace was remodelled in the 17th and 18th centuries into a prestigious Baroque-style residence. The residence is characterised by its lavish architecture and impressive interior, which includes 27 state rooms, precious stucco work and an impressive ceiling fresco by Carlo Carlone in the banqueting hall. In addition to the banqueting hall, the Mirror Cabinet with a collection of Meissen porcelain and the Hall of Tiles with around 2,800 tiles are among the main attractions of the residence.

The French Baroque-style courtyard garden with its palace-like orangery is perfect for a stroll. Today, the Margravial Residence serves as a museum and event venue, offering visitors an insight into the glorious past of the Franconian margraves.
schloesser.bayern.de/englisch

Schloss Veitshöchheim mit Rokokogärten

Veitshöchheim Palace near Würzburg

The majestic Veitshöchheim Palace, once the summer residence of the mighty prince-bishops, is located near Würzburg in a magnificent rococo garden. Originally built as a hunting base, it was extended between 1680 and 1682. Under the direction of Balthasar Neumann, it underwent extensive remodelling between 1749 and 1753.

After it became the property of the Bavarian crown in 1814, it also served as a summer residence for the royal family in the 19th century. Restoration work between 2001 and 2005 brought the palace back to its former splendour. Today it houses a museum with historical showrooms and a permanent exhibition on the history of the Hofgarten (Court garden). The rooms of Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany, which were furnished around 1810, are particularly worth seeing.
schloesser.bayern.de/englisch

Nürnberg: Blick vom Tiergärtnertorplatz auf die mittelalterliche Kaiserburg

Imperial Castle of Nuremberg

In the Middle Ages, the Castle of Nuremberg was an important Imperial palace (a base for travelling emperors or kings). It is said to date back to the year 1000. The complex consists of two castles: Burggrafenburg and Kaiserpfalz. For a long time, the Zollern (later named the Hohenzollern) held the office of “burgrave” (the representative of the king or emperor). Later, on being given the fiefdom of Brandenburg, the Zollern dynasty became increasingly powerful. When Nuremberg became an independent Imperial City, the city took over the castle and integrated it into its fortifications.

Nowadays, the castle is used purely for special events. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the complex underwent many structural changes. Today a museum provides information about the continued existence and function of the castle, the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, and the importance of Nuremberg in the Late Middle Ages.
kaiserburg-nuernberg.de

Blick auf das Renaissance Schloss Höchstädt

Höchstädt Palace

The impressive Höchstädt Castle is a striking monument to the history of the former Principality of Palatinate-Neuburg. The building was erected in the 13th century and later remodelled in the late Renaissance style, incorporating the Gothic tower of the previous castle. Duchess Anna von Jülich-Kleve-Berg lived here as a widow from 1615 to 1632 and adhered to the Protestant faith, while her son supported the Counter-Reformation in Neuburg.

The castle chapel still bears witness to this religious conflict today. The castle has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, yet it has largely been preserved in its original splendour.
schloesser.bayern.de/englisch

Kempten: Im schönen Hofgarten kann man sich vom Besuch der fürstäbtlichen Residenz erholen

Kempten Residence

Built in the centre of Kempten in the mid-17th century, the Kempten Residence was the first baroque monastery complex in Germany and served both as a monastery and as the seat of power for the prince abbots. The residence was furnished in the early rococo style and, with its state rooms and magnificent throne room, bears witness to the prosperity of the Catholic monastery town at the time.

The rectangular throne room extends over five window axes and two storeys, is divided by a subtle architectural system and decorated with elaborate stucco compositions. The furnishings and splendour of the state rooms are regarded as the pinnacle of Bavarian rococo. Visits are only possible as part of a guided tour.
schloesser.bayern.de/englisch

Burghausen an der Salzach

Burghausen Castle

Many owners, a long history: the Burgberg was settled as far back as the Bronze and Iron Ages. Celts and Romans also liked the location. The narrow ridge towers over Burghausen. A large part of the fortress that you see today dates back to the Late Middle Ages. At that time (around 1250 to 1500) it was the second residence of the House of Wittelsbach from the duchy of Bavaria-Landshut. This is where they hoarded their silver and gold.

The most famous resident was Hedwig Jagiellonica, whose wedding to Duke George the Rich in Landshut (1475) is still celebrated every four years. At one kilometre in length, it is the longest castle in the world. The curtain wall is mostly intact. The complex includes five great courtyards, plus gate, towers, residential and commercial buildings. The castle has never been conquered!
burg-burghausen.de

Die Amberger Stadtbrille: Übergang über die Vils

Amberg Electoral Palace

Elector Ludwig III built the electoral palace in Amberg from 1417, later the complex was extended like a castle with moats. When the future king, Elector Max IV Joseph, came to Amberg fleeing from French troops, the castle was used as a residence for the last time. After various uses and changes to the building, the castle was badly damaged by a major fire in 1945. A comprehensive renovation was completed in 1994.

Today, the building serves as an administrative centre. The Electoral Palace is connected to the armoury on the east bank of the River Vils by a water gate, which was built in 1454 as a ‘passageway over the Vils’. This water gate building is also popularly known as the ‘Stadtbrille’ (City glasses) and is considered a landmark of Amberg.
https://amberg.de (only in German)

Blick auf die Burg Trausnitz in Landshut

Trausnitz Castle

This castle can be seen from a distance, high above Landshut. Originally, the castle bore the name of the town; it was only in the 16th century that it changed to Trausnitz. The castle was built in the 13th century. It served as a residence for the Dukes of Lower Bavaria from 1255 to 1503. Famous guests: Emperor Friedrich II, Walther von der Vogelweide and Tannhäuser! Many extensions and renovations under the “Rich Dukes” of Bavaria-Landshut in the 15th century. Under Duke Wilhelm V, wonderful wall frescoes in the style of Florentine Mannerism. It was damaged by fire in 1961.

As you walk round it, you see medieval halls, the castle chapel of St. George with valuable sculptural decorations and three Gothic winged altars as well as the famous Fools’ Staircase with scenes from the Commedia dell’arte. The balcony gives a fantastic view over Landshut. Also worth visiting: the Chamber of Art and Curiosities, a ducal collection of the artistic, exotic and curious.
burg-trausnitz.de

Schloss Weissenstein Garten

Weissenstein Castle, Pommersfelden

Weissenstein Castle in Upper Franconia is one of the best preserved German castles of its era. Franz von Schönborn, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Elector of Mainz, had it built as a summer residence from 1711 to 1718. It then took an additional ten years to complete the interior decoration! The famous architect Johann Dientzenhofer was involved in the planning.

Opulent design with magnificent frescoes in the staircase (providing the model for the staircase in the Würzburg Residence), a grotto decorated with shells and gemstones and a marble hall with a ceiling fresco. Today it serves as a concert hall. The private apartments with a Hall of Mirrors are largely still in their original condition. Visitors can also view Schönborn’s significant collection of paintings, including some by Old Masters (Breughel, Rubens, van Dyck, Titian). “Baroque Lounge” for visitors to the stables. Independent visits possible, with various guided and themed tours on offer.
schoenborn.de/schloss-weissenstein (only in German)

Schloss Harburg: eine der größten und ältesten Burgen in Bayern über Harburg an der Wörnitz

Harburg Castle

One of biggest and oldest castles in Bavaria. It towers over the town of the same name on the River Wörnitz, north of Donauwörth. The core of the castle is surrounded by a curtain wall with six towers. It has a bailiwick, two baileys (“Diebsturm” and “Faulturm”), a great hall, a well, a church and a crypt chapel. First written mention 1150. Roman finds suggest that the location was highly prized before that.

The Dukes of Oettingen took over the castle in 1299 and expanded it. It is still owned by the charitable cultural foundation Fürst zu Oettingen-Wallerstein today. Many parts date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It contains elements of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque.

During a tour of the castle you will see, among other things: church, battlements walk with towers and corners, courtroom, bailey, Prince’s Hall and Prince’s Building. There are also themed tours including musical, night, children’s and archive tours.
burg-harburg.de (only in German)

Schloss Friedberg: Von den Wittelsbachern erbaut als Festung gegen das angrenzende Augsburg

Friedberg Palace near Augsburg

The town of Friedberg lies elevated above the Lechfeld. The Wittelsbach dynasty built it as a fortress against neighbouring Augsburg. The partially preserved town wall and the castle-like palace, a Renaissance building with medieval origins that has been extensively restored, bear witness to this. The centrepiece is the museum. It presents the history of the castle and the town using modern media.

From the 16th to the 19th century, Friedberg was a centre of watchmaking of European standing. A collection displays valuable Friedberg clocks from this period. There are also rare faiences ( pottery with a white glaze), which were produced in a manufactory in the castle. There are also archaeological finds, sacred art and works by Friedberg artists.
wittelsbacher-schloss-friedberg.de (only in German)

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