Ludwig II tried to create his own universe until his tragic death in 1886. He immersed himself in music and in the world of theater and built palaces that reflected his deepest longings. Herrenchiemsee, based on the Palace of Versailles, was constructed on an island in Lake Chiemsee. Its mirrored hall is 77 meters long -- four meters longer than its French counterpart. Farther west in the Allgäu region is Bavaria's most famous castle, Neuschwanstein. As many as 8,000 visitors a day flock here in the high season. Linderhof Palace, an hour's drive away, was completed during Ludwig's lifetime. He lived here, listening to Wagner and dreaming in the illuminated Venus grotto.