Splendor in a
Nutshell
Linderhof may not be the flagship castle in Ludwig's Schloss-craze,
but the king spent many hours there bathing in loneliness or
fantasizing about Wagner's next opera.
 The numerous
buildings around the castle are variations of the same leitmotiv, a
perfect witness to Ludwig's keen sense of imagination. In the lonely
Graswang valley little marvels suddenly appear: the "moroccan
house" and "maure pavillon" straight out of fairy land. Stretched out
on bear skins, drinking mead and smoking (we don't know what) the
water pipe in the "refuge of Hundig" (unfortunately destroyed), King
Ludwig re-enacted and privately lived through the myths of the
Walküre. Not unlike Prince Charming, he was chauffeured in a
golden rococo carriage with all of the staff dressed appropriately in
rococo style. What a lavish lifestyle... Lucchino Visconti's
biographical masterpiece film on Ludwig's life is an absolute must-see
for all true fans, the 3.5 hour director's cut brings the myths
surrounding this lonely man closer than imaginable.
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