Herreninsel, Chiemsee · Chiemgau · Germany

Neues Schloss Herrenchiemsee

palaceislandLudwig IIgoogle verified

easy

9/10

best: summer, morning

grand, surreal, opulent

A local would say...

Ludwig II spent exactly 10 days in this palace he built to outshine Versailles — and left 50 rooms unfinished when the money ran out.

A fantastical palace on the island of Herreninsel in the Chiemsee, Ludwig II's unfinished homage to the Sun King Louis XIV. Begun in 1878, never intended as a residence but as a monument to absolute monarchy, with rooms grander than Versailles. The Great Hall of Mirrors (98m) outstrips the Versailles original in length. Reached by ferry from Prien-Stock.