Lohr and Linderhof Palace
Lohr
Gate to the Spessart
Since the heyday of the Romans, it has been an artisanal art to build a timber frame that defies wind and weather. The town of Lohr am Main in Bavaria presents one of the most beautiful examples of this architectural variant, because half-timbered houses shape the image of the Franconian community. It has retained its original character for centuries and is recommended as the “gateway to the Spessart” halfway between Würzburg and Aschaffenburg. The region with deep forests is an Eldorado for hikers.
A mirror of history
Nature and culture mix in Lohr am Main to create a colorful cocktail. The history of this lovable city is particularly reflected in the historic fishing district. Here visitors will find the most interesting and distinctive half-timbered houses. First and foremost the venerable town hall, the parish church, the Kurmainzer Schloss and, last but not least, the monastery church. The town hall was opened for its use around 1600, and the architects of the time opted for an almost playful Renaissance style.
The historic fishing district
According to old chronicles, the Kurmainzer Castle with the forest building and a former cellar barn is a little older than the town hall. The new town hall of Lohr is located on Schlossplatz. The historic tithe barn is used on the upper floor for events and exhibitions. The remains of the old city wall in the fishing district are photogenic. In the city tower, which has always been popularly known as the “Bayersturm”, a completely preserved former tower house can be viewed.
Tales of robbers from the Spessart
The Spessart Museum has earned a very good reputation. It provides intensive impressions of the cultural history of this region. The art of mirror manufacturing has not only taken root there with the famous “Snow White Mirror”. The stories of robbers who once made the forests of the Spessart unsafe have survived in this museum. The school museum, which deals intensively with the era of the emperors and with the so-called “Third Reich”, is also interesting. Incidentally, Lohr is successfully working on its image of being a charming city for strolling and shopping.
Linderhof Palace
Linderhof Palace was the favorite residence of King Ludwig II.
With Linderhof Palace, Ludwig II created a playful, magnificent royal villa in the middle of the picturesque, secluded Graswang Valley. It is his smallest castle next to Herrenchiemsee and Neuschwanstein and the only one that was completed during his lifetime. The architect Georg Dollmann built the magnificent residence between 1874 and 1879 in the style of the most opulent Rococo architecture. In front of the castle, the numerous tourists are greeted by a water basin with a 30 meter high fountain, at the feet of which a gilded “flora” has settled. Opposite the castle, an impressive staircase leads up to a monopteros, the so-called Venus temple. The English park, which fits seamlessly into the Upper Bavarian landscape, was created by the court garden director Karl Effner. Since Ludwig II.
The Moorish Kiosk is the highlight of the park
The highlight of a guided tour through Linderhof Palace is the oval dining room with the “table-deck-you”. The empty table could be sunk into the floor and a short time later it appeared splendidly covered with food and drinks of the finest kind. Another highlight is the beautiful bedroom of the king. There is also an audience room in the palace, three cabinets in the colors yellow, pink and blue, a tapestry room and a precious hall of mirrors. The highlight of the English park is the so-called Moorish Kiosk, which was built for the Paris World Exhibition around 1850. Even today, the palace park can still be viewed as a total work of art, as it impressively combines various design elements.
Ludwig II indulged his dreams in the Venus Grotto
The stained glass windows and a chandelier with colored lamps in the Moorish kiosk are unusual. You bathe the famous peacock throne and the marble fountain in a dim, almost surreal light. The peacocks were cast in metal and enamelled in color and decorated with glass stones from Bohemia. Ludwig II often indulged his dreams in the famous Venus Grotto and, through the music of Richard Wagner, immersed himself in the universe of “Tannhauser”. On an artificially created lake, the king let himself be driven back and forth in a boat adorned with gilded shells. At that time, the lighting, lake and waterfall were of the highest technical standard and still amaze visitors today.
