Information Board Translation
King of the mountains theme trail
From the replacement building to the Herzogstandhaus
In 1859, King Max II of Bavaria had a hunting lodge built on the Herzogstand below the Fahrenbergsattel, the so-called Pürschhaus. In 1866, a new royal house was built for his son Ludwig II on the front saddle between Fahrenbergkopf and Martinskopf. After Ludwig's death in 1886, the Munich section of the German Alpine Club leased both houses: the Königshaus as accommodation and the Pürschhaus as a restaurant. The Pürschhaus burned down in 1895 and was never rebuilt. Instead, a replacement building was erected directly next to the Königshaus as an inn. As early as 1877, Ludwig II had a viewing and dining hut and a kitchen hut erected on the Fahrenbergkopf, which were dismantled around 1900 and rebuilt in the replacement building. Around this time, the Königshaus was also extended by one floor to provide additional accommodation. In November 1990, a devastating fire destroyed all the buildings on the front saddle. A new inn with accommodation was then built, today's Herzogstandhaus. Ludwig's Königshaus was rebuilt at the same time at the old location in a simplified form. Apart from a few retaining walls, nothing of the original structure from the time of Kings Max II and Ludwig II has been preserved at the Herzogstand.
Did you know that ...
... King Ludwig II was an athletic rider in his younger years? At the age of 19, he rode from Hohenschwangau to Innsbruck in one day - about 100 kilometers one way - and back the next day. He also undertook day rides from Berg Castle on Lake Starnberg to Lake Kochel and Lake Walchensee. Ludwig's rides came to an end around 1870 due to a hernia. The spontaneous excursions into the mountains gave way to regular stays at the mountain huts. The royal riding horses were either agile mountain horses or enduring thoroughbreds. Louis had his personal riding horses purchased mainly in England. These exquisite animals were portrayed at the king's behest by Friedrich Wilhelm Pfeiffer (1822 - 1891) between 1866 and 1880 in front of Ludwig's favorite places of residence. The illustration from 1868 shows the portrait of a horse named “Hildolf” on the Herzogstand and is the oldest surviving depiction of the Pürschhaus of King Max II of Bavaria.
Knowledge for children
In the middle of the 19th century, people began to systematically climb the highest peaks in the Alps. Paths were laid out in the mountains and huts were built. At the time of King Max II of Bavaria, for example, the first spa guests in Tölz were guided up the mountains by locals. This allowed the residents to earn some extra money and the guests were offered an interesting leisure program. While King Max II liked to go hunting at the Herzogstand, his son and successor Ludwig II preferred to enjoy nature. Ludwig even forbade hunting in the places where he was staying. He preferred to go on long hikes and horseback rides. Nowadays, you can easily take the Herzogstandbahn cable car up to the Fahrenbergkopf, Martinskopf and Herzogstand summits. The paths that were laid out for the kings to the three peaks can still be followed.