Museum of the Bavarian Kings, History museum in Hohenschwangau, Schwangau, Germany

The Museum of the Bavarian Kings in Schwangau documents the Wittelsbach dynasty through portraits, personal belongings, and multimedia displays. The building features windows with views of the surrounding landscape and uses modern architectural design.

The building began in 1780 as the Elector's brewery, later becoming the inn "Zur Alpenrose". In 1894 Countess Alexandra von Dürckheim sold it to the Bavarian royal house, and Eugen Drollinger, Ludwig II's last master builder, erected the northern wing in 1898 on the inn's vaulted cellars, adding a hotel extension toward the Alpsee in 1904. The Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds renovated the complex from 2007 and opened the museum on 9 September 2011, the 125th anniversary of Ludwig II's death.

The exhibition shows how the Wittelsbach family shaped Bavaria and their role in the region's development. Visitors can understand this dynasty's importance through the objects and personal items on display.

The museum sits centrally in Schwangau and is easily reached on foot, with parking available near Hotel Alpenrose. Plan for about two to three hours to explore the exhibits thoroughly.

The 58-piece gilded Nibelungen centrepiece, commissioned by the future King Maximilian II for his 1842 wedding to Princess Marie of Prussia, is shown on a table over ten metres long. Nearby lies part of the 326-piece Bavarian royal service of 1918 from Nymphenburg porcelain, a gift from the children for the golden wedding of King Ludwig III and Queen Marie Therese.