Linderhof Palace (Schloss Linderhof) is King Ludwig II's intimate, Rococo-style royal villa nestled in the Bavarian Alps, famous as the only one of his grand building projects completed in his lifetime (1870-1886). Inspired by Versailles' Petit Trianon, it features opulent, gilded interiors, stunning formal gardens with grand fountains, and unique marvels like the Venus Grotto (a magical artificial cave) and the Moorish Kiosk, offering a glimpse into the reclusive king's fantasy world as a tribute to French absolutism.
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The Venus Grotto is an artificial dripstone cave, which was built in 1875-77 in only two years. With a length of 90 yards and a height of up to 14 yards, it is the largest artificial cave of the 19th century – constructed for the sole use of King Ludwig II. For him it was an interactive stage which gave him the near-perfect illusion of being in an opera scene or a distant place. The stage set of the Venus Grotto is from Act I of the opera ‘Tannhäuser’ by Richard Wagner, the composer supported by Ludwig, and was designed precisely according to Wagner’s stage directions. It is also based on the famous Blue Grotto on the island of Capri. Although the king had never actually visited this, he was familiar with it from travel descriptions, paintings and opera scenes and found it fascinating. The pictures are a little blurry because we were there years ago, in a boat in the grotto and cameras didn't handle dark areas well bach then. The pictures give you an idea of what it's like.
