The King
- King Ludwig II of Bavaria
- Biographical note on Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Bavaria from 1864 to 1886 (from Wikipedia)
Castles and Palaces
- Nymphenburg Palace
- Immense Baroque palace on 200 acre estate in Munich where Ludwig was born
- Schloss Hohenschwangau
- Castle near Fussen (Füssen) where Ludwig spent most of his childhood
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Schloss Neuschwanstein – Ludwig's first and most famous castle, a dramatic Romanesque fortress build on a commanding hilltop high above the village of Hohenschwangau
- Linderhof Castle
- Schloss Linderhof – Ludwig's second major creation, an ornate palace in neo-French Rococo style with elaborate formal gardens, nestled in a secluded forest valley about 15 km from Fussen (as the crow flies)
- Herrenchiemsee
- Ludwig's third extravagance, a replica of the central section of the palace at Versailles, meant to outdo its predecessor in scale and opulence, built on an island in the middle of Lake Chiemsee
Bavarian Communities
- Town of Füssen
- Home base for this tour is at Hopfen am See, just outside Füssen, at the southern end of Germany's famous Romantic Road. Füssen is the town where Ludwig was raised, and where he constructed two of his three new castles and palaces.
- Village of Hohenschwangau
- Hohenschwangau is the small village located between the Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles.
- Village of Oberammergau
- Oberammergau is a picturesque village famous for the elaborate passion play staged every ten years and also for its beautifully painted houses and woodcarving.
- Town of Bad Tölz
- Bad Tölz (or Bad Toelz) is know for its historic medieval town center, an architecturally significant church from 1466, its spas, its spectacular views of the Alps, and its lunch-time specials.
- Munich
- Munich (München) is the capital of the German state of Bavaria, Germany's third largest city (1.3 million), the home of world famous beer gardens and the annual Oktoberfest, and the origin and termination city for this tour.
The Region
- Wieskirche
- The Wieskirche, also known as The Church in the Meadow, is a Rococo church built between 1745 and 1754 in a remote location near the foothills of the Alps. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.
- Andechs Abbey
- The Benedictine abbey of Andechs is a former place of pilgrimage famed for its flamboyant Baroque church, its modern farming operations, and its brewery.
- Zugspitze
- The Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany at 2,962m or 9,718'. It is located on the Austrian border and two cable cars go directly to observation and restaurant facilities at the peak, one from each country.
- Innsbruck
- Capital of the western Austria federal state of Tyrol, renowned winter sports center
- Schloss Ambras (Wiki)
- Renaissance castle and palace located in the hills above Innsbruck, noted for its art and armour collections.
- Schloss Ambras
- Official website of Schloss Ambras