Herrenchiemsee Palace

I`ve been visiting the Chiemsee since I was a kid. The Chiemsee is Bavaria`s largest lake, located between Munich and Salzburg. Recently I explored the region a bit more and discovered King Ludwig`s II famous German castles: Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau and Linderhof, all located close together (about 3-3,5 hours’ drive from the Chiemsee). But King Ludwig II had another palace, Herrenchiemsee Palace also known as the New Palace (Neues Schloss).

Herrenchiemsee is a complex of royal buildings on Herreninsel, which is an island in the Chiemsee next to Fraueninsel, a neighboring island. You can visit the island by taking a ferry from several locations. The New Palace was built as a tribute to Versailles and the largest of King Ludwig II famous castles. The gardens are filled with fountains, as you also see at Versailles.

Fraueninsel as seen from the ferry

Practical

Ferry

We took the ferry from Gstadt. These are the boat rides you can take:

• To Fraueninsel (from Gstadt to Fraueninsel and back) – 5,20 euros*
• Inseltour Ost (Gstadt – Herreninsel – Fraueninsel – Seebruck – Chieming – Ubersee/Feldwies and back) – 8,90 euros*
• Inseltour West (Gstadt – Herreninsel – Fraueninsel – Prien/Stock and back) – 8,30 euros*
• Grosse Chiemseetour (all shore locations and back) – 11,70 euros*

You also have the option of taking a ferry from a different departure points like Chieming, Seebruck, Prien etc.

On the island

Once you arrive on the island, it`s about a 20 minutes’ walk up to the castle.

The castle

You can walk around the outside of the castle and in the gardens for free. If you would like to take a tour in the castle, tickets must be purchased upon arrival with the boat and before you start walking to the castle. For more info on openings hours and prices, check here. The tour itself takes about 30 minutes and afterwards there is an opportunity to visit the King Ludwig Museum.

Have you been to the Chiemsee yet?

 

*Prices were accurate at time of publishing