King's House on the Schachen

After hours of climbing in the Wetterstein mountains, the King's House on the Schachen first looks like a modest timber chalet with shutters and fretwork balconies. Only upstairs do you see why King Ludwig II built up here: the Turkish Hall, with fountain, divans, peacock feathers and coloured glass, is an oriental dream world at 1,866 metres. Since 2025 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ludwig II's palaces, and the only one you can reach only on foot.

History: Ludwig's retreat above the clouds

Ludwig II had the house built between 1869 and 1872 to designs by Georg Dollmann, as a timber-frame chalet in Swiss style. It is often called a hunting lodge, though the king had no interest in hunting; he came here to be alone, riding up from Elmau by carriage or sleigh along what is now called the Königsweg. He spent several of his birthdays here on 25 August, and every year on that date royalists, believers and hikers still gather for a mountain mass. Visitors were rare; one exception was the writer Felix Dahn in 1873, with whom the king talked politics for almost six hours.

What to see

• Ground floor: Living room, study and bedroom panelled in Swiss stone pine, fairly plain.
• Turkish Hall: The upper-floor showroom, modelled on a palace in Eyüp near Istanbul, with carpets, gilded carvings, enamelled vases and chandeliers.
• Alpine garden: Since 1901 an outpost of Munich's Botanical Garden, with over 1,000 mountain plants from around the world.
• The view straight onto the Wetterstein cliffs.
• Schachenhaus: The former service buildings, now a mountain inn with beds.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

Open from early June to early October, depending on snow; the 2027 dates will be announced by the Bavarian Palace Administration. Visits are by guided tour only, on the hour from 9:00 to 17:00, max. 30 people. Admission €6, reduced €5, under-18s free. Tickets are sold only on site, cash only, no reservations.

Getting there

The house can be reached only on foot; allow six to seven hours up and down from Elmau or Garmisch-Partenkirchen, both with parking. By train go to Klais, Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Mittenwald and take the bus towards "Ferchensee".

Tripto tip

Make it a full day or stay overnight at the Schachenhaus to join an early tour. Bring cash and check snow conditions in June and October.