Visit Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle near Munich

Published on

by Henk Bekker

in Bavaria, Germany, Royal Castles

Opening hours are long to visit Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle on Herren Island in the Chiemsee Lake near Munich in Bavaria, Southern Germany. Buy skip-the-line tickets online.

Opening hours are long to visit Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle on Herren Island in the Chiemsee Lake near Munich in Bavaria, Southern Germany. Most tickets to see the palace are sold on Herren Island.

© faabi / Depositphotos

Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle is the most opulent palace built by Bavarian King Ludwig II during the nineteenth century. It is less famous than the Disney-like Schloss Neuschwanstein – the popular neo-Romanesque castle he built near Füssen. It is sensible to buy skip-the-line tickets for Schloss Herrenchiemsee online but tickets are also available onsite. Opening hours are long and there is seldom much of a wait as tours are frequent. Bus tours are sometimes available from Munich but far less common than to Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Herren Island in the Chiemsee Lake, Bavaria

Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle is on Herren Island, the largest island in the Chiemsee Lake in Southern Bavaria in between Munich and Salzburg. During the Middle Ages, monasteries were built on the two largest islands in the lake. The one for monks was on Herreninsel (meaning Men’s Island) to distinguish it from Fraueninsel (Women’s Island), which still has a working nunnery.

Several buildings are near the boat landing on Herren Island – the most important for most visitors is the Besucherzentrum (Visitors’ Center) where tickets to the palace are sold. Other buildings here include:

  • The Altes Schloss (Old Castle), which houses the Museum in the Augustinian Monastery. The museum covers the German constitution of 1948, a couple of rooms used by Ludwig II, paintings of the Chiemsee area, and a gallery dedicated to the works of Bavarian painter Julius Exter – frankly, of lesser interest to foreign visitors. However, it is currently included in all tickets.
  • The Schlosshotel Herrenchiemsee is in a mansion and although not particularly luxurious (or too pricey) does allow guests to stay on the peaceful island in the evenings after day-trippers have left.

From the Boat Landing to the Herrenchiemsee Palace

It is an easy twenty-minute stroll from the boat landing and visitors center to the Neues Schloss (New Palace), also referred to as the Königsschloss (King’s Castle) or simply Schloss Herrenchiemsee. The interior may only be seen on a compulsory guided tour lasting just more than half an hour.

A horse-drawn wagon makes the journey from near the boat landing to the palace in about fifteen minutes. It is available only from mid-April to late October.

No motorized vehicles, or indeed bicycles, scooters, or inline skates, are allowed on Herreninsel, which makes the island ideal for strolling. A 7-km (4.3-mile) marked trail allows visitors to see the best sights on the island.

The Neues Schloss Herrenchiemsee and most of the island are accessible to wheelchair users.

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Buy Tickets for Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle in Bavaria

Most of the tickets for Schloss Herrenchiemsee are sold at the Besucherzentrum (Visitors’ Center) near the boat landing on Herrninsel. Only a limited number of tickets are available online. Tickets bear the time of the tour of the interior of the palace. Visit all other included sights anytime within six months.

Many, if not most, visitors see only the Neues Schloss and the adjacent King Ludwig II Museum. The following ticket offers are available — only the combination tickets and multi-day passes include access to the main palace interior:

  • The Gesamtkarte Insel (Combination Ticket) gives admission to the Neues Schloss Herrenchiemsee, King Ludwig II Museum, as well as the museum and galleries in the Augustinian Monastery (Altes Schloss). This ticket is €11 and valid for six months — only the Schloss Herrenchiemsee must be seen on the guided tour on the day of purchase.
  • The Einzelkarte König Ludwig II.-Museum gives admission to the King Ludwig Museum. This ticket is €5.
  • The Einzelkarte Augustiner-Chorherrenstift (Augustinian Monastery Ticket) gives admission to the museum and galleries in the Old Castle (Altes Schloss). This ticket is €6.

Save with Combination Tickets when Visiting Herrenchiemsee Palace

The following two combination tickets are good value and savings deals when sightseeing in Bavaria. Buy at any of the participating venues (but make free time-slot reservations online in advance):

  • Kombiticket Königschlösser (Royal Palaces Combination Ticket) is valid for six months and gives one entry into each of the three royal castles of King Ludwig: Herrenchiemsee, Neuschwanstein, and Linderhof. It cost €40 but note the next offer below — the validity period is shorter but includes all three plus many more sights.
  • The two-week and annual Bavarian Castles and Palaces season tickets are even better value to many visitors to Bavaria. The two-week ticket is €40 for adults, or €80 for a family, and includes many of the top sights in Bavaria managed by the Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung. The annual ticket is €55 (or €100 for a family ticket).

Children under 18 years old (groups excluded) have free admission but should register a time for the tour of the palace at the ticket window.

Admission to Herren Island itself, the parks, and gardens are free but of course, require a boat trip to reach the island.

Opening Hours of Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle

Visiting Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle
Schloss Herrenchiemsee Palace — Photo: Rufus46 / Wikimedia Commons

All sights on Herren Island are open daily except January 1, Shrove Tuesday (Fasching), and December 24, 25, and 31. Like many other major tourist sights in Bavaria, Schloss Herrenchiemsee is open on Mondays.

Opening hours are daily from April to mid-October from 9 am to 6 pm and from mid-October to March from 10 am to 4:15 pm. The last tours of the palace start an hour before closing time.

Tours of the palace take around 40 minutes with tours in German available continuously and usually in English at least once per hour. Hourly tours are also available from July to September in Italian, French, and Spanish.

The fountains (Wasserspiele) in front of the palace play twice per hour for about 15 minutes from early April to early October.

Several transportation options are available to Schloss Herrenchiemsee. It is an easy day trip from Munich and a great stop en route to Berchtesgaden, Bad Reichenhall, or Salzburg in Austria. Day-trip tours are also often available from Munich — less common in the colder months.

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More on King Ludwig’s Castles and Palaces

The three fantasy castles of King Ludwig are all near Munich and are popular day trips whether on bus tours, driving, or using public transportation. Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Linderhof are to the southwest and may be seen on the same day when driving or on tours. Schloss Herrencheimsee is to the southeast and also a good stopover en route to Salzburg.

Sightseeing Savings Deals in Bavaria:

Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau:

Linderhof Palace and Park:

Schloss Herrenchiemsee:

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