Bicycle tour to Linderhof Castle

We went on a 22km bike tour through the quiet and idyllic Graswang valley in the Ammergau Alps to Schloss Linderhof. The castle complex was built in the second half of the 19th century by Ludwig II of Bavaria and is named after the mountain stream of the same name Linder.

We started our circular tour at the paid hikers’ parking lot at the Ettaler Mühle, coming from Ettal or Oberammergau just after the turn-off from the B23 main road into the Graswang valley. From there, it is around 11 km along the northern side of the valley to Linderhof Castle, the return journey is along the southern side.

The trail leads through the Graswang Valley, which stretches in an east-west direction. The valley is characterized by lush meadows, clear mountain streams and an impressive backdrop of the Ammergau Alps. We liked the fact that there are always places to sit along the route and that there are great places to have a picnic or cool your feet along the Ammer streams at the beginning and end of the route.

The route itself is almost entirely unpaved, but wide, easy to ride and generally pleasantly quiet. Ideal for families, provided you don’t mind a few meters in altitude: the outward route is about 150 m uphill in total, 100 m of which is just before the castle. However, the ascent is moderate and easily manageable with low gears or by pushing. To make it easier for children to master the incline, a tow rope may be recommended. I used the Tirevelo.

The castle grounds can be reached from the north via an unofficial entrance. The first gate (fire department access road, the Komoot route also passes through here) was closed for us, so we continued uphill to the second gate. Next time, we would probably do without the extra meters of elevation gain and simply push a bit through the forest to avoid the first gate. It is important to know that entry to the site is free. There is only an entrance fee to visit the interior of individual buildings or the Venus Grotto.

On the castle grounds themselves, we mostly pushed the bikes as there were many pedestrians on the road. The many coaches were particularly noticeable, a stark contrast to the quiet tour through the valley.

There are only a few places to stop for refreshments along the way: Right at the beginning (or at the end), the Ettaler Mühle is a good place to stop. There is a kiosk at the official main entrance to the castle grounds where you can buy drinks. The restaurant opposite was closed until further notice at the time of our visit. If you are prepared to take a small detour, you can also stop off at the Gröblalm) about halfway between the starting point and the castle.

Overall, the visit to the castle grounds with its well-kept gardens and fountains was quite nice, but not something we would do again. We were disturbed by the fact that there is no official side entrance on the north side of the grounds, even though a cycle and hiking path runs past here. But if you are looking for peace and nature, you will have a lot of fun on the bike tour.

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