We decided to drive into Germany today to see the Herrenchiemsee Palace. The palace and gardens are located on an island in a lake, the Chiemsee.
This was supposed to take 1 hour driving time. We knew the German border was being patrolled and that they were checking cars crossing onto Germany, looking for people who were trying to sneak refugees/migrants into Germany. The situation in the Middle East and the influx of refugees and migrants has put a huge strain on the EU nations who are trying to take care of the hundreds of people pouring into the country every day. One hour into our trip, we were sitting on the Autobahn going 0km/hr as there were not only the border checks but road construction as well. So we spent 2-1/2 hours making the drive.
When we got to Prien, we bought our ferry tickets for the crossing to the island. We went and climbed aboard the ferry and about 10 minutes later landed on Herreninsel, the island where the palace is located. We walked up to the ticket office for tour tickets and my German must be getting better because the cashier wanted to know (in German) if we wanted the take the German tour. :) We asked for the English tour and found out it started in 25 minutes and it was a 20 minute walk to the palace. We hustled over there and made it with 5 minutes to spare!
King Ludwig II built this palace modeled on Versailles because of his admiration for France's King Louis XIV. I have not been to Versailles, but everything in this palace was really over-the-top ornate. Gold leaf everywhere, tapestries made with gold thread, Meissen porcelain chandeliers as big as some small cars. There were so many candelabras in the Hall of Mirrors, it took 30 servants half an hour just to light them all. Like his castle at Neuschwanstein, Ludwig never finished this one either due to his sudden death. It was interesting to see some of the unfinished area and realize what's hidden under all the plaster and gold. Twelve million bricks were hauled over to the island and then transported by a small railway to the palace site for building. Quite an undertaking.
The day started out rainy but the sky cleared up by the time we were done with the tour and we spent some time in the gardens and wandering around the farm area. There are beautiful large fountains and a couple of smaller ones along with flower beds and a view down to the water of the lake.
When we were ready to leave, there was quite a line of people also waiting for the return ferry ride. We worried we might not make it aboard and would have to wait for the next boat, but they just kept loading people on. Then we started to worry that they might be loading too many people for it to be safe. You know, you see these news stories about over-loaded ferries tipping over, etc. When we finally took off, everyone had made it aboard and there were still a few seats left, so I guess we worried for nothing.
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