Let Yourself be Whisked Away to the World of the 'Fairytale King' Ludwig II of Bavaria!
Laser-Cut Kit Palace Linderhof
The Palace Linderhof, the smallest of Ludwig II of Bavaria's three castles, was built between 1869/1870 and 1886 in the municipality of Ettal in the Ammergau Alps. It is considered the favourite castle of the ‘Fairytale King’ and was the only one to be completed during his lifetime.
Immerse yourself in this fairytale world of kings and empresses. Create your own perfect world and escape from the dreary reality by exploring the model, just like King Ludwig II himself once did.
The History of Palace Linderhof
Linderhof Castle was built on the site of a simple hunting lodge belonging to Ludwig II's father, Maximilian II. In its construction and furnishings, Linderhof reflects Ludwig II's admiration for French absolutism and Louis XIV in particular. The buildings and interiors are
designed in the neo-Rococo style and depict scenes from life at the court of Versailles. The surrounding palace park, a mixture of formal baroque garden and English landscape garden, was laid out between 1874 and 1880.
From the mid-1870s, Ludwig II spent the winter months at Linderhof. It was from here that he undertook his famous night-time sleigh rides. He also returned to Linderhof in the summer to undertake mountain excursions from here. Ludwig II was able to carry out his governmental duties dutifully at this time, but created a retreat for himself, particularly at Linderhof Palace, where he could feel like an absolutist king. This counter-world became a refuge from the parliamentarism and industrialization of the 'founding era'. In Ludwig II's later years, Linderhof also reflected his alienation from reality.
After Ludwig II's death in 1886, the palace was opened to the public and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It stands as a testament to Ludwig II's eccentric personality and his romanticised ideas of royalty and power.
Exterior Architecture and Statues
Palace Linderhof combines elements of 18th century French pleasure palaces with Bavarian rococo motifs. The French Marly Palace and elements of Nymphenburg Palace, especially the Amalienburg, are considered to be sources of inspiration. Despite or perhaps because of these influences, it is a unique building in its overall structure. Remarkably, the palace was built mainly of wood and clad in plaster, using local resources and labour.
The façades are richly decorated with limestone and cast zinc statues. The main gable shows the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria, flanked by two Fama figures with a trombone and personifications of agriculture, trade, science and industry. An Atlas statue with a globe, decorated with the twelve signs of the zodiac, crowns the pediment. Overall, the programme of figures glorifies Bavaria's glory, estates, virtues and achievements in science, business and art.
In order to experience this special feature in the model, all the statues were modelled individually in three dimensions. The components are 3D-printed and primed to match the colour of the façade. None of the statues are the same; even the four atlases above the main entrance, which appear identical at first glance, differ on closer inspection, for example in the way they hold their arms and tilt their heads.
2025 - a special year for Linderhof Palace!
Linderhof Palace is one of the most magnificent buildings ever built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. With its magnificent architecture, ornate interiors and impressive gardens, it has delighted visitors from all over the world for generations.
The uniqueness of this place, its historical significance and its cultural value have never been in doubt - and in 2025 this was finally officially recognized:
Update on July 12, 2025:
Congratulations! It's done - Linderhof Castle has been officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List!
A well-deserved place on the World Heritage stage, which we celebrate with great joy and pride.
The Figures Set
The kit comes with an exclusive figure set consisting of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi’, two horses, a boy, Richard Wagner and two swan statues.
It is said that King Ludwig II and ‘Sisi’ had a close friendship. Sisi was Ludwig II's aunt, eight years his senior, but Ludwig II called her ‘cousin’. Both shared similar traits and interests. For example, they both enjoyed horseback riding, probably together on several
occasions. They were also united by their enthusiasm for art. In particular, both revered Richard Wagner."
In 1864, Ludwig II brought the heavily indebted Richard Wagner to his court. He took over his debts and supported Wagner financially. Wagner's operas ‘Tannhäuser’, ‘Lohengrin’, ‘Tristan und Isolde’ and ‘Rheingold’ were centred around mythical legends such as the medieval legend of the Grail and the Ring of the Nibelungs. Ludwig II lost himself in these mythical worlds and sought to escape from reality.
Ludwig II himself liked to identify himself with the swan knight from Lohengrin. As the swan was the heraldic animal of his ancestors, the Counts of Schwangau, and thus also gave his Neuschwanstein Castle its name, the swan became Ludwig II's trademark.
Ludwig II had a Venus grotto built in Linderhof, where he also had swans herded to feed them. Statues and figures of swans adorned Ludwig II's palaces. The two miniature swan statues can be placed in front of the entrance to Linderhof Palace, for example.
All figures in the set are 3D colour-printed and highly detailed.
The Laser-Cut Kit Palace Linderhof on a scale of 1:87, H0
The NOCH development team spent over a year developing the Laser-Cut Kit Palace Linderhof. It consists of 1,007 laser-cut parts. These parts are cut from special laser-cut cardboard and some are engraved. The kit is supplemented by 113 individually modelled 3D printed parts of statues, ornaments and decorations. The model therefore corresponds perfectly to the original.
The scope of delivery includes the exclusive, eight-part Figures Set, consisting of the figures of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi’, Richard Wagner, two horses, a boy and two swan statues.
Special Laser-Cut Adhesive and detailed building instructions are included with the model kit.
