Step back in time at Munich's most enchanting castles and palaces

From Neoclassical palaces-turned-museums to Gothic churches and public buildings, Munich's must-see 12th to 18th-century architecture starts with its enchanting castles built and commissioned by kings.

It is there that you will discover the German city's numerous regal cultural treasures rich in history and steeped in art.

Here are five palaces and castles to visit, according to official travel guide Simply Munich.

RESIDENZ

The largest palace in Germany restored to its former glory after World War II, it is also the only building with four distinct styles of architecture: Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism.

An arts and cultural institution, the Residenz consists of 130 rooms filled with furniture and oil paintings, 10 lavish courtyards, a resplendent treasury containing 1,500 pieces of royal regalia belonging to the Bavarian royal family, a grandiose Rococo-style theatre and grotesque paintings by Mannerist painter Peter Candid lining its walls.

NYMPHENBURG PALACE

Home to the famous Gallery of Beauties collection commissioned by King Ludwig I, this is one of the best examples in Europe of Baroque art. On selected days, classical concerts are held at the Hubertus Hall.

Of particular importance is King Ludwig II's birth room, which is dressed in green silks, and the Stone Hall, which extends over three floors.

SCHLEISSHEIM PALACE

Comprising three palaces - Altes Schloss, Lustheim and Neues Schloss - this amalgamation of royal complexes takes you through the life of William V, the former duke of Bavaria and member of the Wittelsbach dynasty.

Today, the Altes Schloss houses two collections from the Bavarian National Museum: Gertrud Weinhold's ecumenical collection The Religious Year And Its Festivals, and an exhibition on culture in Eastern and Western Prussia.

 

If you are a purveyor of the finer things in life, spend an afternoon at the Lustheim admiring the collection of over 2,000 valuable porcelain tableware, centrepieces and animal figures.

Designed by renowned court architect Enrico Zuccalli, the Neues Schloss features beautifully painted ceilings by Bavarian artist Cosmas Damian Asam and Italian painter Jacopo Amigoni.

 

 

 

 

 

LINDERHOF

Located close to the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Ammergau Alps, the Linderhof Palace is King Ludwig II's beloved 18th-century castle.

Featuring large rooms that are elaborately decorated and fitted - and designed for a king - each room is a reflection of his personal taste.

The architecture is largely influenced by the French and modelled on the small summer palaces, usually set in parkland, that were built in France in the 18th century and were also often found in Germany in the parks of larger palaces.

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE

Embark on an exploratory journey of the whimsical Neuschwanstein Castle and let your imagination run wild.

An ideal place for families, couples, fairy-tale and Disney lovers, the gorgeous white-bricked 19th-century Romanesque Revival castle - which woos some 1.4 million visitors each year - offers visitors glimpses into the mind of the eccentric King Ludwig II.

With the aim of creating a habitable and theatrical abode, it has all the trappings of a perfect romantic backdrop. It is also fitted with modern conveniences that were available to only the wealthy during those times, including a centralised heating system, electronic call system, automated toilet flushes and telephone lines on the third and fourth storeys.