Royal Splendour

RIEDEL Magazine, Issue 03 Autumn 2025 | Text: Stephanie Geiger | Reading time: 5 minutes

To the south of Munich, nestled amidst the gently rolling hills of the Alpine foothills, lies Lake Starnberg – a place where nature and history come together in picturesque harmony. As one of Germany’s largest and deepest lakes, it not only attracts water sports enthusiasts and those seeking relaxation, but has also been a setting for princely elegance and cultural splendour for centuries. Magnificent castles and stately villas, which tell stories from the era of the Wittelsbachs and still imbue the lake with an aura of grandeur and romance, line its shores. Text: Stephanie Geiger

Note on the edition

This article is taken from the Autumn/Winter 2025/26 issue of RIEDEL Magazine. The dates, uses and ownership details mentioned are correct as at the time of publication. The exhibition date in May 2026 has since passed.

Where Empress Sisi spent her carefree youth

The hidden gem amongst the royal estates is Possenhofen Palace, which Duke Wilhelm IV had built in the first half of the 16th century. Sisi, who later became Empress of Austria, spent her childhood and youth in and around this magnificent building with its four corner towers. But even as Empress, she returned regularly to Possenhofen to enjoy the special atmosphere of Lake Starnberg, far removed from the constraints of etiquette. Today, the castle – surrounded by a 40,000-square-metre private park, complete with its own lake and bathing beach – offers a stately lifestyle. RIEDEL has one of the exclusive castle apartments on offer.

White castle with two green onion domes close to the shore, with a sailing boat crossing the blue lake in front. — Once owned by the nobility – King Ludwig II lived here; now in private ownership: Berg Castle.

Berg Castle can boast of having had at least one former resident who was just as famous: King Ludwig II, the ‘Fairy-Tale King’, used the castle as his summer residence. A notable feature: a telegraph line was laid specifically for the King’s official business at the time. Following his incapacitation in June 1886, the King intended to make Berg Castle his permanent residence, as it had always been the place closest to his heart. Yet just one day later, he lost his life in Lake Starnberg. The castle is now privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside – for example, as part of a boat tour.

Aerial view of a small wooded island surrounded by shallow turquoise-green water. — Rose Island – a popular destination both past and present, not least because of its unique beauty.

One place with which the Empress and the King had a close connection is Rose Island. On the island, which features the small summer house that King Max II had built, Sisi and the Prince would meet, or leave letters and poems for one another. However, the oldest artefacts on the island date back to the 6th millennium BC. Alongside a dugout canoe, pile dwellings were also discovered, which are now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is something magical about the island. Today, it captivates visitors above all with its gardens, which are brimming with historic rose varieties.

Where the Princess of Thurn and Taxis spends her summer

Seen from the water, a light-coloured castle stands on a wooded headland, with a sailing boat anchored in front. — The summer residence of the Thurn und Taxis princely family: Garatshausen Castle.

Empress Elisabeth was also a guest at Garatshausen Castle from time to time. Sisi’s father had bought the castle; her brother Ludwig later lived there, and it eventually passed to her eldest sister, Helene, who was married to Crown Prince Maximilian of Thurn and Taxis. The princely family of Thurn und Taxis still uses the old Garatshausen Castle as a summer residence today. Next door, in the new castle that Helene had built, there is now a retirement home.

Aerial view of a yellow castle with an extensive garden, with the rooftops of the town and the lake behind. — An exceptional venue for conferences and cultural events: Tutzing Castle, owned by the Protestant Academy.

Tutzing Castle, with its 19th-century garden situated right on the lakeshore, is now home to the Protestant Academy and a venue for regular conferences. Around 12,000 participants come there every year to enjoy a very special atmosphere.

The Schlossberghalle in Starnberg is also a venue for conferences and cultural events. Concerts of all sizes, a wide variety of exhibitions, fascinating readings, festivals, theatre and cabaret attract renowned artists to the venue. The current programme can be viewed online on the Starnberg website.

The castle of the ‘Last Queen of Bavaria’

Wide view of a white castle with green domed towers and arcaded side wings in front of a broad lawn. — Still relatively new, but just as impressive: Höhenried Castle, a popular venue for art exhibitions and festive occasions.

The youngest of the castles is Höhenried Castle, where art exhibitions are held regularly, such as the ‘Kunst Hand Werk’ sales exhibition on 23 and 24 May 2026. Höhenried Castle is also a popular venue for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The American brewery heiress Wilhelmina Busch, known as the ‘Last Queen of Bavaria’, commissioned the estate in 1930. After her death, the castle became the ‘House of Preventive Healthcare’. Today, the Höhenried Clinic is a widely renowned rehabilitation centre. The picture-perfect landscape park is an oasis of tranquillity in every season. Anyone visiting the area should definitely also pop into the neighbouring Museum der Fantasie, which houses Lothar Günther Buchheim’s collection of Expressionist art.

Yellow rendered castle with a columned portal on a well-kept lawn between topiary box and a red-leaved maple. — The beautiful Ammerland Castle was once home to many artists and a source of inspiration for them. Today, it houses flats.

There is also a wealth of art to be found in the history of Ammerland Castle, which once served as a summer retreat for the Wittelsbach bishops. Count Franz von Pocci, a composer, enthusiastic art connoisseur, man of letters, painter and royal court music director, lived in this magnificent building from the mid-19th century onwards. Count Pocci, affectionately known as the ‘Kasperl Count’ because he invented the Kasperl character Larifari, invited distinguished guests to the castle, including the painters Carl Spitzweg and Carl von Piloty, and the court Kapellmeister Franz von Lachner. Today, Ammerland Castle, with its park and private lakeside, has been divided into flats. However, you can still catch a glimpse of the castle whilst enjoying a lovely walk or from the lake itself.

Massive Neo-Romanesque building with a light round tower and battlements, surrounded by dense greenery. — Leased to the Christian children’s and youth organisation ‘Wort des Lebens’: Seeburg Castle in Münsing, built in the Neo-Romanesque style.

However, we mustn’t forget the smaller castles either, such as the castle-like Seeseiten country house, Weidenkam Castle, Allmannshausen Castle and the Neo-Romanesque Seeburg, situated just a little further south.

Incidentally, the best way to explore the castles around Lake Starnberg is on a cycle tour. You’ll need to be reasonably fit, though, for the 50-kilometre route. If you fancy taking a break along the way and catching a glimpse of one of the many castles at the same time, there are plenty of cafés and restaurants around the lake to choose from, such as Garatshausen Castle, which has a café right in the middle of its grounds.

You do, however, need to be reasonably fit for the 50-kilometre route.

RIEDEL’s perspective

Several of the properties mentioned here have now been converted into flats, including Possenhofen and Ammerland. This makes them a category of their own on the market: listed buildings, a park, often private lakeside access – and a owners’ association that makes joint decisions on any renovation work. Anyone buying such a flat is buying a piece of history that comes with certain conditions. This is precisely why it is worth seeking advice from someone familiar with heritage protection regulations and the declaration of division.

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