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Inscription of the castles of King Ludwig II of Bavaria to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee
from left to right : Martina Lochen (Permanent Delegation), Friederike Hansell (World Heritage Co-ordination, Federal Foreign Office), Lisa Biburger (Bavarian State Ministry for Science and Arts), Alexander Wiesneth (Bavarian Palace Administration) , Kerstin Pürschel (German UNESCO Ambassador) © Permanent Delegation of Germany to UNESCO
On 12 July 2025, at its 47th meeting in Paris, the World Heritage Committee inscribed the castles of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The ensemble is now Germany’s 55th World Heritage Site.
The palaces are considered to be outstanding testimonies of historicism and the romantic ideas of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. They combine innovative architecture with magnificently designed interiors and embody the ideal image of a past, idealised world. Their inclusion to the World Heritage List demonstrates their extraordinary cultural significance far beyond Bavaria.
A total of 26 new World Heritage Sites were selected at this meeting, including the megaliths of Carnac and the Morbihan coast in France, the impressive coastal and marine ecosystems of the Bijagós archipelago in Guinea-Bissau, as well as the Gola-Tiwai complex in Sierra Leone. These are the first World Heritage Sites for Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.
The 48th session of the World Heritage Committee will take place from 19 to 29 July 2026 in Busan (Republic of Korea).