Linderhof Palace and Sad Fate of King Ludwig II - Bavaria, Germany 4K

Nestled in the beautiful Bavarian countryside sits an opulent palace built for a king, with grounds that are a delight to explore. We visit the Lindehoof Palace in Germany on a perfect sun-filled day and learn what happened to the king who built it. We stay near Fusen as we explored a number of sites in the area. Although relatively unknown, the Lindehoof Palace was a definite highlight of our Bavarian visit. Lindehoof Palace was built by Ludwig II, the king of Bavaria from 1845 to 1886. He also built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. And although Neuschwanstein was never completed in his lifetime, Lindehoof Palace was, and the king enjoyed spending time here. His father had a lodge in this location which was used for hunting expeditions, and it was taken down as the palace was built. The palace was built in phases and completed in 1886. The king was attempting to rival the opulence of Versailles on a much smaller scale. The unmarried king spent much of his last eight years here, living alone in his royal fantasy world, emulating King Louis of France. Ludwig's downfall was overspending on lavish projects, the most famous being Neuschwanstein Castle and Herrem Kiemsee Palace in addition to Lindehoof. Heavily in debt with no signs of slowing the out-of-control spending, he was living well beyond his means while planning more large projects. So the Bavarian government found a doctor to declare him insane, then put him under guard and transported to Burg Castle. Three days later, he and the doctor took a long walk along Lake Starnberg. A search party later found them both dead in the lake, the doctor showing signs of struggle. Ludwig was declared drowned by suicide, even though he was a good swimmer and an autopsy showed there was no water in his lungs. And oddly, members of the search party were sworn to secrecy, while years later reports surfaced claiming Ludwig was shot while attempting an escape via boat. His death at the young age of 40 is still a controversy to this day. Ironically, the castles he built, the cause of his demise, are today extremely popular attractions. They've paid for themselves many times over as a major tourist attraction in Bavarian Germany. Behind the palace is Ludwig's Grotto. Unfortunately, when we visited, it was closed for reconstruction and restoration, scheduled for completion in 2024. Inspired by a scene from his favorite opera, Ludwig had the grotto built from scratch. Inside is an artificial cave with an artificial lake, a waterfall, a stage, and a swan boat. The area was heated by brick ovens and was Bavaria's first use of electricity, with generators to power color-changing lights, fountain, and a wave machine. It was his own private theater, where he enjoyed his favorite opera performances, often only himself in attendance. The interior of Lindehof Palace is fabulous. Unfortunately, they don't allow cameras inside, but is well worth the paid visit. If you enjoy my videos, I encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and click the bell to be notified of new releases. It's free, and sharing with your friends is much appreciated.