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King's House on Schachen

Coordinates: 47°25′10.91″N 11°6′45.31″E / 47.4196972°N 11.1125861°E / 47.4196972; 11.1125861
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King's House on Schachen
View of the King's House
Schachen is located in Bavaria
Schachen
Schachen
Schachen is located in Germany
Schachen
Schachen
General information
TypeHunting lodge
Architectural styleTimber framed
LocationBavaria
CountryGermany
Coordinates47°25′10.91″N 11°6′45.31″E / 47.4196972°N 11.1125861°E / 47.4196972; 11.1125861
Completed1869–1872
Technical details
Floor count2
Design and construction
Architect(s)Georg von Dollmann
Website
www.schloesser.bayern.de/deutsch/schloss/objekte/schachen.htm
Part ofThe Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee
CriteriaCultural: iv
Reference1726-003
Inscription2025 (47th Session)
Area0.025 ha (0.062 acres)
Buffer zone3,773 ha (9,320 acres)

The King's House on Schachen (German: Königshaus am Schachen) is a small villa (Schlösschen) at Schachen [de], Wetterstein Formation, about 10 km south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, built by Ludwig II of Bavaria. The house was constructed between 1869 and 1872.[1]

Location

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The King's House on Schachen is located at Schachen, at an altitude with a view of the dramatic mountain backdrop of the Wetterstein Formation, about 10 km south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria. It can only be reached via a 10 km forest road, or a three-hour hike, ascending 1000m either from Schloss Elmau or Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which provides a view of Zugspitze amongst others.[2]

History

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View from the other side

The King's House on Schachen was built between 1869 and 1872 for Ludwig II of Bavaria and designed by architect Georg von Dollmann. It is often described as a hunting lodge, though Ludwig never used it for this purpose, as he didn't like to hunt, instead utilizing it for birthday and anniversary celebrations.[3] The building is the least-known of the palaces built by Ludwig.[4] One room known as the "Turkish or Moorish Room" occupies the entire upper-floor of the castle, and is elaborately decorated in an Oriental fashion.[5] The extravagant upstairs interior stands in stark contrast to the exterior and ground floor, which are rather modestly built in the style of alpine chalets, as they were often built as excursion restaurants.[6]

In 2025, the house was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.[7]

Alpengarten auf dem Schachen

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Adjacent to the house itself is the Alpengarten auf dem Schachen on about one hectare, an alpine botanical garden at about 2000m altitude, which contains over 1,000 plant species from the Alps to the Himalayas. It is maintained by the Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg, open during the summer months daily from 8 am to 5 pm, admission cost 2.50 euros as of 2018. Although the Wetterstein Mountains are primarily limestone, the limestone and dolomite weather differently: dolomite decomposes into a shard and splinter debris on which some plants thrive particularly well. Lime weathers chemically, calcifications arise, in which water quickly seeps away. On the other hand, the sandstone provides for loamy and low-limestone soils that hold water well.[8]

Altogether 42 plant beds are assigned to different geographical regions, the flora of the Bavarian forest, the Alps, Carpathians, Patagonia, the Rocky Mountains – and the Himalayas.[8]

  • The Reintal valley
    The Reintal valley
  • King's House taken from the Bockhütte in Reintal
    King's House taken from the Bockhütte in Reintal
  • Illustrations of the Moorish Hall at the time it was built
    Illustrations of the Moorish Hall at the time it was built

References

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  1. ^ Alle bayerischen Museen auf einen Blick, archived from the original on 16 July 2011, retrieved 29 October 2007
  2. ^ Tourismus und Wirtshaftsinformationen, archived from the original on 11 February 2007, retrieved 29 October 2007
  3. ^ Wanderung in GAP – Königshaus am Schachen, archived from the original on 30 August 2007, retrieved 29 October 2007
  4. ^ Schulte-Peevers, Andrea (2002), Bavaria, Lonely Planet, p. 273, ISBN 1-74059-013-9
  5. ^ Königshaus am Schachen, retrieved 29 October 2007
  6. ^ Das Schachenschloß – Königshaus am Schachen, archived from the original on 13 February 2008, retrieved 29 October 2007
  7. ^ "Bavarian fairy tale castles and French Carnac Megaliths among new UNESCO World Heritage sites". Euronews. 12 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Tour zum Alpengarten auf den Schachen". GartenNatur (in German). 5 July 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
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