Where Is the Königshaus am Schachen?

Where Is the Königshaus am Schachen?

Germany, europe

Length

N/A

Elevation

2,000 m

Difficulty

moderate

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, so you wanna get to Königshaus am Schachen, a castle built way up high by King Ludwig II? This place is nestled in the Bavarian Alps near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, putting it among the highest roads in Germany at a whopping 6,112 feet above sea level.

Now, King Ludwig wasn't into hunting despite this being called a castle, so he made this two-story wooden structure. It might not look as fancy as his other palaces from the outside (except for those balcony railings!), but trust me, it's special.

What's cool is at the summit near the castle, you'll find the Alpengarten auf dem Schachen, a whole hectare of alpine botanical garden sitting pretty at around 2,000 meters! The mountain's limestone and dolomite soil creates a home for all sorts of plants. You'll see species from the Bavarian Forest, Alps, Carpathians, Patagonia, the Rocky Mountains, and even the Himalayas! It's open during the summer and is managed by the Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg.

Heads up: the road to the top is closed to regular cars. It's only driveable with a 4x4, and even then, only from June to October. So plan accordingly!

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Road Details

Country
Germany
Continent
europe
Max Elevation
2,000 m
Difficulty
moderate

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