A Little Castle in Bavaria

King Ludwig II of Bavaria was decidedly eccentric. He is known as "mad" King Ludwig. Mad he might have been, but he had great taste in architecture. He built three castles, Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee, and Neuschwanstein (upon which Disney's castle is based). Linderhof, seen here, was his favourite castle and the only one completely finished.

Beautiful fountains and gardens surround the palace, including a grotto in which he built an artificial lake. His servants would row him around the lake in a small boat while he watched operas being performed on the small stage in the grotto. He was a great fan of Richard Wagner's music.

Intricate formal gardens shaped by boxwood hedges are set in some of the most beautiful countryside. A thousand shades of green mingle in rolling hills where small farms nestle.

A detail of the back of the castle, which faces an artificial waterfall. On hot summer days, the waterfall would cool the air and the breeze drifted into the open windows of Ludwig's bedroom behind the balcony shown. An ingenious air conditioning system.