The unfinished New Palace was designed by Christian Jank, Franz von Seitz, and Georg von Dollmann and built between 1878 and 1885
The unfinished New Palace was designed by Christian Jank, Franz von Seitz, and Georg von Dollmann and built between 1878 and 1885. Between 1863 and 1886 16,579,674 Marks were spent on construction. Using a 0.2304 troy ounce (7.171 g) 1890 '20 Mark' gold coin as a benchmark, this equates to 190,998 oz of gold, which at October 2013 prices was worth approximately £154,000,000 (US$250,100,000).
Ludwig only had the opportunity to stay within the Palace for a few days in September 1885. After his death by drowning at just 40 in the following year, all construction work discontinued and the building was opened for the public. In 1923 Crown Prince Rupprecht gave the palace to the State of Bavaria.
Unlike the medieval themed Neuschwanstein Castle begun in 1869, the Neo-Baroque New Palace stands as a monument to Ludwig's admiration of King Louis XIV of France. Its great hall of mirrors' ceiling is painted with 25 tableaux showing Louis XIV at his best.
The palace was shaped in a 'W' with wings flanking a central edifice. Only 16 of the 70 rooms were on the ground floor. It was to have been an equivalent to the Palace of Versailles, but only the central portion was built before the king died and construction was discontinued with 50 of the 70 rooms still incomplete. It was never intended to be a perfectly exact replica of the French royal palace and in several places even surpasses it. Like Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors has 17 arches, the Hall of Peace and the Hall of War on either side have three windows each. The window niches at Herrenchiemsee are wider than those at Versailles, making its central façade a few metres wider. The dining room features an elevator table and the world's largest Meissen porcelain chandelier. Technologically, the building also benefits from nearly two centuries of progress. While the original Versailles palace lacked toilets, water, and central heat, the New Palace has all of these, including a large heated bathtub.
Being built on an island it is only accessible by water, today via a system of small ferries. As a result, and of being unfinished, Herrenchiemsee always remained slightly in the shadow of Neuschwanstein.
The formal gardens are filled with fountains, a copy of the Versailles Bassin de Latone, and statues in both the classical style typical of Versailles and the fantastic romanticism favored by King Ludwig. Statues reminiscent of antiquity are found throughout the gardens, overwrought in the grand style of Richard Wagner's romantic operas.
Parking in the well-marked parking lots near the boat landing.
- Map of the island (New Castle + King Ludwig II.-Museum + museum and galleries in the Augustiner-Chorherrenstift - without navigation!): EUR 8.00
- Single Card Augustiner-Chorherrenstift (museum and picture galleries - without shipping!): EUR 4.00
- Combination ticket "Königsschlösser"(the ticket is valid for six months): EUR 24.00
- Map of the island (New Castle + King Ludwig II.-Museum + museum and galleries in the Augustiner-Chorherrenstift - without navigation!): EUR 7.00
- Single Card Augustiner-Chorherrenstift (museum and picture galleries - without shipping!): EUR 3.00
- Children and adolescents up to the age of 18 receive free admission
- Pupils over the age of 18 from general education schools, vocational schools, special schools and schools for the sick according to Art. 6 para. 2 BayEUG also receive free admission upon presentation of the student ID
Rental wheelchairs are available to a limited extent in the BIZ and the Neues Schloss (free of charge).
Children and adolescents up to the age of 18 receive free admission.
Pupils over the age of 18 from general education schools, vocational schools, special schools and schools for the sick according to Art. 6 para. 2 BayEUG also receive free admission upon presentation of the student ID.
- Elevators are available in the Augustiner-Chorherrenstift Museum and the Neues Schloss . Rental wheelchairs are available to a limited extent in the BIZ and the Neues Schloss (free of charge)
- Dogs and other animals may not be taken to the castle and the museums
- The bike and scooter riding and inline skating are prohibited on the island for security reasons
- The photographs and films in all sightseeing objects are not allowed