At the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, France, on 12 July 2025 the 19th century palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria – Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee – have finally been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. King Ludwig II reigned in the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1864 to 1886. He was called the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King or even the Mad King.
In a statement, Prime Minister Markus Söder of Bavaria said:
A fairy tale has come true for our fairy-tale castles: we are now a World Heritage Site! UNESCO has designated the royal castles of King Ludwig II in Bavaria as World Heritage Sites. This is a global accolade for Neuschwanstein Castle, Herrenchiemsee Castle, Linderhof Castle and the Royal House at Schachen. It honours our history, culture and architecture. Bavaria is a hospitable state and our royal castles are a magnet for visitors from all over the world. Neuschwanstein is Bavaria’s most famous landmark. The fairytale castle combines great art and culture with a touch of kitsch and cliché. When they see the castle, some people around the world may think of Disney – but no: Neuschwanstein is and remains the original from Bavaria. The recognition by UNESCO is a great joy, but also a mission: we want to preserve our cultural heritage and maintain it for future generations. That is why the Free State is investing a lot of money in the preservation and restoration of our cultural heritage. (other reactions)
Already in 2015 the royal palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria were officially registered with the World Heritage Centre in Paris on the German tentative list for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bavarian Palace Department submitted the nomination dossier and management plan to the UNESCO Commission for review on 1 February 2024.
Ludwig began his expensive building activities in 1867/68 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz. He had the ruins of the medieval twin castles on the site demolished and in September 1869 laid the foundation stone for Neuschwanstein that was still not finished when Ludwig died. He moved into the palace in 1884, only spending 172 days in total in this fairy tale palace. Several plans were never realised.
The first plans for Linderhof – the hunting lodge he had inherited from his father King Maximilian II – were made in 1868. The hunting lodge was rebuilt on another location in the park. The new palace was only completed in 1885/86, but not finished until after Ludwig’s death. Ludwig nevertheless lived in it most of the time from 1876.
Ludwig purchased the Herreninsel in the Chiemsee lake in 1873. He converted the old Augustinian monastery into a residence (old palace), and from 1878 had a new palace built, called the Herrenchiemsee Palace. Ludwig only spent a few days in September 1885 in his newly created private rooms. Because of financial problems the original plans were never completed.
The least known of the palaces is the Königshaus am Schachen (King’s House on Schachen), that was built at the foot of the Wetterstein Formation between 1869 and 1872. It was built in the style of an alpine chalet. It takes a three-hour-hike to get there.
