Our suggestion of a car ride to the King’s Castles, starting at our b&b in Diessen.

The fairy-tale king Ludwig II, born in 1845, was only 18 years old when he was crowned king of Bavaria. He transformed his dreams into some of the regions’s most elaborate castles, attracted by millions of people each year from around the globe. We need to take our time to admire the beauty and splendor of former times, the richness of the decoration and the craftsmanship which no longer exist in our rational world.
The most charming castles are all situated in Southern Bavaria: Neuschwanstein near Fuessen, Linderhof near Oberammergau and Herrenchiemsee near Rosenheim.

FIRST DAY

We leave Diessen to the south, heading towards the Alps and soon we arrive in Fuessen. In the hundreds tourists from all over the world are visiting each day Neuschwanstein, the creation of the mad king Ludwig II of Bavaria, known as the fairy-tale king. From the car-park we reach the castle on foot in about 30 minutes or by a horse-drawn carriage. Highlights of the guided tour (English): singers room (taking up the entire fourth floor with pictures of the Thannhäuser saga), knights room, the throne room, the living room, the chapel. Musical lovers are encouraged to see the Ludwig II musical at its historic place close by, performed each evening, sometimes in the afternoons, too.

Before we drive back, we will stroll through the old pictoresque town of Fuessen and take delight in its alleys, places and souvenir shops.

One last attraction before we reach Diessen again: the pilgrimage church Wieskirche in the midst of meadows and forests, the quintessence of a Bavarian rococo church, which today is a UNESCO World Cultural Inheritance.

SECOND DAY

One hour south of Diessen is Schloss Linderhof, king Ludwig II secluded „hunting lodge“. Linderhof is the smallest of the three royal castles and the only one which was completely finished (1878). Visitors are most thrilled by the West Gobelin Room with gilded paneling and richly colored tapestries, the Hall of Mirrors, or the king’s bedchamber. The garden is full of baroque sculptures and elegant fountains. In the park the visitor can marvel at an oriental curiosity, the Moorish Kiosk but also the magical Venus grotto built of artificial rock with stalagmites and stalactites.The main chamber is occupied by an artificial lake illuminated from below.

The afternoon will be spent in near-by Oberammergau most famous for its passion play, given every 10 years (next in 2010). But also without this spectacle it‘s worth spending few hours in this marvellous town: We visit the Passion Theatre with an exhibition on the history of the Passion Play with text, props and original costumes. Next stop: the Pilatushaus with different craftsmen (wood-carvings, cuckoo clocks, mantel clocks, religious subjects). Wandering the streets, visitors will enjoy the many houses with the artistic Lüftlmalerei (wall-painting).

THIRD DAY

There is only one attraction on our agenda today: the visit of Herrenchiemsee 2 hours east of Diessen and Munich. We’ll park the Mercedes in the city of Prien, where a rather old steam street car will bring us to the harbor of Stock. The following boat-ride will last about 20 minutes to get to the island of Herreninsel. Now we have a choice: to walk to the castle in about 20 minutes or - more romantic - to take a carriage to the castle.
This biggest and most expensive castle of Ludwig II looks like Versailles. The guided tour (English) will show us the royal bed chamber where no-one ever slept, the Hall of Mirrors (98 meters long, with 44 candelabras and 33 chandeliers), the audience hall, the splendid staircase, the royal kitchen and the heated swimming pool.
For our sporty visitors we offer a hiking tour all around the island, seven kilometers long with many scenic views. Others may want to just relax with a cup of coffee and good German cake at the sea shore, before we hit back.