King Ludwig's refuge: Rose Island on Lake Starnberg

Lake Starnberg just outside the gates of the Bavarian capital is a popular excursion destination for Munich residents and international visitors. The small, car-free Rose Island with its royal park alone attracts around 4,000 visitors per month. Every year on May 1st the spring season starts here after the winter rest.

Lake Starnberg and the Rose Island are famous as places of refuge to which Ludwig II regularly withdrew. On the then private island of the Bavarian royal house, he received only selected guests such as the Russian Empress Maria Alexandrovna or the composer Richard Wagner. The most frequent visitor, however, was his cousin Sisi, Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

Ludwig II sought solitude on the only island on Lake Starnberg. Today he would only find seclusion in winter. From spring to autumn, small wooden ferry boats take visitors from the Glockensteg in Feldafing to the island. The crossing takes only five minutes – accompanied by a magnificent view of the Alpine panorama with Zugspitze and Karwendel mountains.

The main building on Rose Island is the so-called Casino. Ludwig's father, Maximilian II, had the royal villa built as an excursion destination. The summer cottage with pergolas, galleries and lookout tower is a romantic mix of styles consisting of an Italian country house and a Bavarian mountain house.

The interior walls are decorated with delicate murals that are modeled on those of an ancient Roman villa from Pompeii. The king's large salon and bedroom on the upper floor are now open to the public. Wedding couples can even marry in the garden hall on the ground floor.

The garden on Rose Island was created by the most prominent German garden designer of the 19th century, Peter Joseph Lenné. Gently winding paths lead past changing landscapes and sculptures. During the walk, the carefully planted trees open up views of Lake Starnberg.

The highlight is the rose garden with a five meter high, blue-white glass column in the center. The 600 historic high stem and shrub roses bloom for the first time in June. The island owes its name to the Rosarium, which Lenné planted around 1850. Sisi and Ludwig once enjoyed the splendor of flowers.

The heyday of Rose Island ended with Ludwig's death. An imposing cross marks the place where his body and that of his doctor were found in Lake Starnberg on June 13, 1886. The circumstances of his death remain unclear to this day. After that, Rose Island was neglected. It was not until 2003 that the Free State of Bavaria opened the reconstructed gardens to the public.

Rose Island has been populated for some time. In addition to Roman remains, archaeologists have found traces of 3,000-year-old pile dwellings in the mud of the shallow water area off the north-eastern tip of the island. These prehistoric lakeside settlements have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2011.