A SLEEPING BEAUTY

With lush meadows, crystal-clear lakes and castles reachable only by forest trails, Annabel Grossman discovers an outdoor lover's paradise in Germany's exquisite Bavarian mountains

- Annabel Grossman

The castle is nothing like I expected. Since I'm in Bavaria, I had visions of towering spires and fairytale turrets, but as I push through the last few hundred metres of climb on my bike and Schachen Castle comes into view, I find myself gazing upon a Swiss-style lodge. The picturesque, if somewhat bizarre, structure was built in 1869 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat, allowing him to enjoy the stunning landscapes and the exquisite solitude of the mountains. Indeed, the views from Schachen across the border to Austria are breathtaking.

Inside, things get even stranger. The Turkish Hall is filled with opulent Moorish decor, blending Indian, Baroque and Oriental influences, which contrast with the simple Bavarian interiors on the ground floor. It's all rather eccentric - a bit like King Ludwig II himself.

Just this month, the Schachen Royal House was added to the Unesco list of world heritage sites. There is a charm to this mountain home, although it may not have the classic fairytale beauty of King Ludwig II's other three Bavarian palaces that also made the list: Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof and Neuschwanstein, the latter of which is known as “the original Disney castle” as it is thought to be Walt's inspiration for the palace in Sleeping Beauty.

If I’m honest, Germany hadn’t been on my list of summer Alpine destinations. For years, it had been hard to tear me away from the French Alps (I’ve spent a good few long weekends scrambling up mountains and running along trails in Chamonix). Then I'd fallen in love with the Dolomites and spent the past couple of summers gazing upon those jagged peaks bathed in rose gold and wandering through meadows of wildflowers. Bavaria had barely registered on my radar.