This is the smaller of the two main sights on the island of Herrenchiemsee on the Chiemsee. A…read moreformer Augustinian Monastery turned palace and now museum and art gallery, King Ludwig II of Bavaria stayed here while planning the construction of the vast "new" Royal Palace 2km away in the centre of the island. It's close to the landing stage for the ferries, up a short but steep hill. The original mediaeval monastery (founded in the 7th Century) was relocated around the island several times: in 1215 it became an auxiliary diocese under the Bishops of Salzburg, in an unusual arrangement whereby the monastery acted as the cathedral chapter. It was rebuilt on the current site between 1645 and 1730, with the main rooms decorated in the Baroque style. In this form it enjoyed only a short life: the Cathedral-Abbey was secularised in 1803, and its diocese dissolved in 1808. The island was then sold and passed through various owners who, among other things, demolished the cathedral church and sold off the furnishings. King Ludwig II of Bavaria acquired Herrenchiemsee in 1873, and had the former monastic buildings converted for his own use. The complex therefore became known as the "Old Palace", while work began on planning the New Herrenchiemsee Palace. Today, only a limited part of the Abbey is open to the public, but this includes Ludwig's surprisingly modest private suite and the main state rooms, including the magnificent Imperial Hall, with a ceiling fresco by Benedikt Albrecht. A whole wing has been dedicated to the paintings of Julius Exter (1863-1939) and other paintings by the so-called "Chiemsee artists) are also on show. There's also an exhibition about the conference held in 1948 to establish the Federal Republic of Germany. Entry is by ticket only; these can be purchased at the Abbey or the ticket office at the landing stage. A combined ticket with the New Palace is available.

From the owner: In Reit im Winkl wurde das bekannte Penninger Schnapsmuseum zu einem stilvollen…read morePenninger-Fachgeschäft umgestaltet. Dem Besucher öffnet sich eine Welt von einzigartigen Geschmackserlebnissen. Entdecken, fühlen, riechen - wer zu Penninger nach Reit im Winkl kommt, kann sich von den außergewöhnlichen Aromen von Blutwurz, Bärwurz und anderer natürlicher Rohstoffe persönlich überzeugen. Das liebevoll gestaltete Spezialgeschäft enthält eine alte Kupferdestille und weitere Raritäten aus der Geschichte der Schnapsherstellung. So hat man vor Jahrzehnten noch von Hand gepresst und die vergorene Maische im handbefeuerten Brennofen destilliert. Vieles ist heute anders. Penninger-Spezialitäten werden aber immer noch ausschließlich aus naturgewachsenen Rohstoffen hergestellt. Sie sind seit Jahrzehnten der Inbegriff von Qualitätsprodukten aus einem bayerischen Familienbetrieb. Wir freuen uns sehr auf Ihren Besuch!

Visited t his spot our last full day in Germany and took a few trains, a taxi, and a boat to get…read morehere. But it was worth it. I was excited to see this castle on an island based upon Versailles built by the "crazy" king of Bavaria. I've seen some of the other famous castles of his during a trip in 2017 so happy to add another to my list! The palace itself is beautiful and can only be seen through a guided tour - we had missed the last English tour of the day, so we joined a German tour and were given a sheet of paper to follow along through the 12 or so rooms we saw. Photos are not allowed - which I understand but also wish wasn't the case for people who have traveled long and hard to see something and want to try to take some photos for themselves to remember the trip. It was nice to not have cameras out the whole time though and to just look at the ornate details of the room while the guide spoke to us about everything. It was raining and somewhat miserable while we were here but we still found the gardens and palace to be lovely and enjoyed the trip we made for the day to see them.

The island of Herrenchiemsee has two palaces: the Old Palace in the former Augustinian monastery,…read morenow known as the Old Palace and museum; and the incredible "New Palace " of Ludwig II of Bavaria. This review covers the New Palace. It's a must-see on any trip to the region. After Ludwig II bought the island in 1873, he made plans for the construction of the huge "New Palace", on which work began in 1878. This enormous building was modelled on Versailles, though the original plans were to include wings to match the original, but financial problems restricted the plans to the current building. As it is, it's still huge, and Ludwig expended more money on it than Linderhof and Neuschwanstein combined. However, funds ran out in 1885, a year before his untimely death, with only 30 of the 80 main rooms completed. But just those 30 completed interiors are stunning, and you can see pretty quickly how it burned through the funds so fast: room after room of vast mirrors, huge and exquisite chandeliers, luxurious furnishings and acres of gilded stucco. Clearly, no expense was spared. The hall of mirrors is actually longer than that at Versailles and its 52 candelabras and 33 chandeliers hold over 7,000 candles. Outside, the front of the Palace overlooks stunning French-style gardens with large classical fountains. Strangely, Ludwig did not intend to live here: it was to be a museum, an homage to Louis XIV and absolutist monarchy. All the paintings are copies of French originals and depict Louis XIV, not Ludwig. He spent only 10 days here - and even then he slept during the day and had an army of servants light the thousands of candles to illuminate it so he could wander through its rooms. The Palace can only be visited by guided tours, laid in in German and English. They last about 30 minutes and lifts enable full access for wheelchair users. The palace also includes a museum of Ludwig's life, featuring his coronation robes, and a small gift shop and restaurant. It's a 20 minute walk from the main jetty and 15 minutes from the Old Palace.