The King’s House on Schachen, located at 1,800 meters above sea level in the breathtaking German Alps, exceeds the bounds of imagination. King Ludwig II of Bavaria built the Schachen in 1872 to celebrate his birthday in a realm of contradiction and freedom—juxtaposing the worlds of Bavaria, the Orient, and India within a single structure, surrounded by pristine nature. He also designed a cosmopolitan garden featuring rare mountain flowers from around the world. The Schachenhaus and its garden are accessible only from Schloss Elmau, either in just one hour by e-mountain bike or after a 3.5-hour hike.