Villa Ludwigshöhe is a former summer residence of

Ludwig I of Bavaria en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...

overlooking

Edenkoben Edenkoben () is a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It lies approximately halfway between Landau and Neustadt an der Weinstraße. Edenkoben is one of the towns situated along the German Wine R ...

and Rhodt unter Rietburg in

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Geography

Villa Ludwigshöhe is located at the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest, west of the small-town of

and the municipality Rhodt unter Rietburg in the Southern Palatinate. The Villa is reachable by car. Next to the Villa is the lower station of the "Rietburgbahn", a chairlift, by which the

Rietburg The Rietburg is a ruined hillside castle on the edge of the Palatinate Forest above the village of Rhodt in the county of Südliche Weinstrasse in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The remains of this castle are located on the side of ...

can be reached.

Architectural history

In 1843 King

Ludwig I en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...

decided to build a summer villa. At that time the Palatinate (from which his father Maximilian I came) belonged to Bavaria. It was to be constructed on the edge of the Haardt hills. In 1845 the necessary parcels of land were bought from the municipalities Edenkoben and Rhodt. The laying of the foundation stone took place in 1846. The Villa was built by Joseph Hoffmann (Ludwigshafen/Rhine) according to plans from architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Gärtner. In 1847 the architect died: hence Leo von Klenze took care of the site management. The building was finished in 1852. Ludwig I resided every two years in the months July and August in the Villa. He also celebrated his birthday there. His last visit at the Villa is dated 1866.

Building

The main building consists of four rectangular shaped two-storey buildings which are grouped around an atrium. Classicistic styles are realized. Landmarks in Germany Buildings and structures in Rhineland-Palatinate {{RhinelandPalatinate-struct-stub