Herrenchiemsee

Herrenchiemsee is a royal complex on Herreninsel, the largest island in the Chiemsee lake in southern Bavaria. The island once housed an Augustinian monastery before King Ludwig II bought it in 1873. He turned part of the site into his residence, now called the Old Palace. From 1878 he built the New Palace, modelled on Versailles, as his final grand project. The unfinished palace remains a monument to Ludwig’s admiration for Louis XIV. Today it is maintained by the Bavarian state and open to visitors. The New Palace was designed by Georg von Dollmann, Christian Jank and Franz von Seitz. Ludwig supervised its construction himself, though he only stayed there briefly in 1885. The palace’s Hall of Mirrors has 25 ceiling frescoes showing Louis XIV. Only 16 of the planned 70 rooms were completed on the ground floor. The dining room holds the world’s largest Meissen porcelain chandelier and an elevator table. Unlike Versailles, the New Palace has modern conveniences such as toilets, water and central heating. Visitors reach the island by steamboat from the mainland. The palace stands on a remote lake island with views of the Chiemgau Alps. The Old Palace, once a monastery, now hosts the Constitutional Convention of 1948. The unfinished North Wing was demolished in 1907, while the South Wing was never built. The site blends royal grandeur with island tranquillity, offering a glimpse of Ludwig’s vision.