Villa Ludwigshöhe, Summer residence in Edenkoben, Germany

Villa Ludwigshöhe is a two-storey palace of four rectangular blocks grouped at right angles around an atrium, built 1846–1852 to plans by Friedrich Wilhelm von Gärtner. Its southeast front is divided by two stacked colonnades, Doric below and Ionic above, and a veranda is attached on the north side. Inside, 62 rooms keep Pompeian wall paintings by Joseph Schwarzmann and mosaic floors after Roman models.

Ludwig I chose the site in 1843 and bought the land from Edenkoben and Rhodt in 1845; the foundation stone was laid in 1846. Friedrich Wilhelm von Gärtner designed the villa, Joseph Hoffmann built it, and after Gärtner's death in 1847 Leo von Klenze took over the site. Work ended in 1852, the year Ludwig first stayed there with his wife Therese; his last visit was in 1866.

Since 1980 the villa has housed the Max Slevogt Gallery, run by the Landesmuseum Mainz, with over 130 paintings by the impressionist Max Slevogt; a selection is always on show. The gallery occupies rooms whose walls and mosaic floors were decorated in Pompeian style by Joseph Schwarzmann, and the dining room was repainted with Pompeian motifs by Adalbert Hock in 1899.

The site is easy to reach and visitors can freely explore the exterior grounds, while interior rooms open at specific times for guided tours. It helps to check opening times in advance and book a guided tour depending on your interests.

In 2007 the vaulted cellar hosted the Hinder/Reimers collection, 1,588 ceramic pieces from the 20th century. The villa itself holds 62 rooms, many with Pompeian wall paintings by Joseph Schwarzmann and mosaic floors modelled on Roman designs; Adalbert Hock repainted the dining room walls with Pompeian motifs in 1899.