Linderhof Palace is near Oberammergau in southwest Bavaria. It is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one of which he lived to see completed, around 1880
Ludwig already knew the area around Linderhof from his youth when he had accompanied his father on hunting trips in the Bavarian Alps. When Ludwig became king in 1864 he inherited the so-called King's Cottage from his father, and in 1869 began enlarging the building. In 1874 he decided to tear it down and rebuild it at its present-day location in the park. At the same time new rooms and the staircase were added to the remaining U-shaped complex, and the wooden exterior was clad with stone facades. The building was designed in the style of the second rococo-period. Although Linderhof is much smaller than Versailles, it is evident that the palace of the French Sun King Louis XIV (who was Ludwig's idol) was its inspiration.
Ludwig's fantasy palaces were barred to strangers, but have been visited by over 50 million people since his death.