Overview
- Sites run by the Bavarian Palace Department drew about 5.1 million visits in 2025, a roughly 2% increase from 2024.
- Neuschwanstein remained the top draw with over 1 million visitors, about 400,000 fewer than 2019 as smaller guided groups become standard with a maximum of 45 per tour.
- The UNESCO inscription of King Ludwig II’s castles anchored the year’s narrative, with fresh interest complemented by record attendance at Walhalla and Munich’s Residenz.
- Linderhof saw a strong rebound helped by the April reopening of the Venus Grotto, which attracted more than 170,000 visitors and lifted the site’s totals.
- Revenue reached a record €91.3 million, while operating expenses rose to about €104 million and construction outlays were roughly €58 million, with 2026 works including the first postwar general renovation of Würzburg’s Marienberg Fortress.