Hardly four years into his reign, Ludwig II designed his first castle in 1868 at age 23. Today Neuschwanstein is Germany's most famous castle and a real tourist magnet with some 1.4 million visitors annually. This replica of a medieval castle towers above the town of Schwangau in the Allgäu mountains.

This is the largest room in the Neuschwanstein Castle. Inspired by the original in Wartburg Castle, Ludwig had it decorated with scenes from medieval legends. It provided a regal setting for large parties and musical events. Today visitors can enjoy the annual castle concerts.

This was the shy monarch's favorite retreat. Linderhof is the smallest of his three residences. It was supposed to be a replica of Versailles but the plot was too small. Instead it became a Rococo style palace. Linderhof is celebrating the royal birthday in a romantic way with candles and light shows.

Ludwig II devoted a special room to music in the palace. But only the king and his close companions were allowed access to the room. Ludwig used to come here to listen to opera arias. The artificial grotto with a lake and waterfall portrays the stage set for the first act of Wagner's Tannhäuser. Ludwig was a huge fan of Richard Wagner.

Ludwig II loved places that guaranteed him seclusion. Like Rose Island in Lake Starnberg. His father, Maximilian II, had a summer house built here called Casino. It is surrounded by a park with a central rose garden. Here Ludwig II was protected from curious glances and enjoyed meeting with his cousin, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria.

In 1873 King Ludwig II acquired Herreninsel, an island in Lake Chiemsee. He wanted to build something suitable here that would pay homage to his great idol, France's Louis XIV. A replica of Versailles Palace in Bavaria, this palace was his final and most costly project. Ludwig died in 1886. He did not live to see the palace's completion.

As a perfect replica of Versailles, Herrenchiemsee also has a hall of mirrors, which is 98 meters long, has 17 round windows and the same number of mirrors above them. It also boasts 33 chandeliers and 44 candelabras. It is today the top attraction in the palace and is in fact seven meters longer than the one in Versailles.

Ludwig II did not build Nymphenburg Palace but this is where he was born. Visitors to the palace can visit the room in which he was delivered. During the summer they can glide across the park's canals in a gondola.

The view is spectacular but the building itself is surprisingly modest. Built at an altitude of 1,866 meters, Ludwig used this as a refuge when he was in the mountains. It can only be reached by a four-hour hike. Typically for Ludwig, he designed something very special.

The entire first floor of Schachen is in an opulent oriental style. It is in stark contrast to the barren mountain surroundings. Ludwig celebrated several birthdays here. The guests were asked to dress as sultans and kalifs. It gave the events a feel of the Bosporus in the Alps.

Bavaria gets to top it all by being home to Germany's highest peak. The Zugspitze in the Bavarian Alps reaches 2,962 meters (9,718 feet) above sea level. Visitors, however, don't need to invest a lot of energy to reach the summit and enjoy the fabulous views. Cable cars and a railway can take you to the top.

The largest folk festival in the world attracts millions of visitors each year and has spawned offshoots around the globe. It's characterized by beer in 1 liter glasses, women wearing dirndl dresses and men in lederhosen, as well as music and dancing in all of its many tents. The original Oktoberfest is found in Munich, which has played host since 1810.

The Bavarian metropolis is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. The first stop for visitors is the Marienplatz square with the Frauenkirche church and the New Town Hall with its antique glockenspiel. Other attractions include the Hofbräuhaus beer hall, Nymphenburg Palace, the English Garden park as well as many museums like the Deutsches Museum — the largest science museum in the world.

Munich is also home to one of Germany's most successful football clubs. Bayern Munich's home games are played at the Allianz Arena. Fortunately, those who don't have tickets to a match can still feel close to the club's stars by taking a guided tour around the stadium.

The Romanesque revival palace is one of Germany's top attractions. In 2022, it was visited by 700,000 people, something reclusive King Ludwig II who commissioned the castle probably would not have enjoyed. He had it built in 1869 as a place where he could escape from public life and indulge in a world of fantasy and fairy tales. His whimsical castle is now admired by people from around the world.

Translated from German it would be the "King's Lake" — an apt title, as it's regarded as the king of Bavaria's roughly 200 lakes. Cutting deep into the Berchtesgaden Alps, the crystal-clear water creates an enchanting atmosphere. Since 1909, the pilgrimage church St. Bartholomew can only be reached by an environmentally friendly electric boat.

The small town in the Franconia region is a medieval gem. Tourists from all over the world love the timber-framed houses and the town wall with its fortifications. Rothenburg was left poor and deserted after the Thirty Years' War, which is why it has remained stuck in time. Today, it's seen a historic jewel that happens to be located on the Romantic Road, a popular tourist route in Germany.

This opera house, commissioned by Margravine Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia in the 18th century, was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 2012. There are several World Heritage Sites in Bavaria, including the old towns of Regensburg and Bamberg, the Würzburg Residence and the pilgrimage church of Die Wies.

Nuremberg is the second-largest city in Bavaria. Most people visit in December to go to the Christkindlesmarkt, or Christ Child Market — one of the world's oldest Christmas markets, which is visited by 2 million people each year. Although you'll find mulled wine and Lebkuchen gingerbread at other Christmas markets, it's only here that you'll encounter the Christkind, a princess-like figure.

It's not a myth, but a way of life in the hundreds of beer gardens across Bavaria. In fact, Bavarians invented the beer garden. Originally, beer was kept cool in cellars that were shaded by large trees, until brewers decided to set up tables and serve it right on the spot! This lead to the birth of the beer garden. Cheers to that!