On a sunny day in the fall, I visited Festetics Palace (Festetics-kastély) near Lake Balaton in Hungary. On my walk through the Baroque Palace, I had the chance to see the famous Helikon Library.
Category: Palaces
Bellevue Palace in Berlin
Designed by architect Michael Philipp Boumann, Bellevue Palace (Schloss Bellevue) was erected in 1786 as a summer residence for Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia. Since 1994, it is the official residence of the Federal President of Germany.
Ludwigsburg Residential Palace
The Residential Palace of Ludwigsburg (Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg) is one of the largest Baroque complexes among the castles of Baden-Württemberg. A park behind the palace shows scenes from well-known children’s fairy tales with elaborate buildings. [German]
Lower Belvedere Palace
Lower Belvedere Palace (Unteres Belvedere) and Upper Belvedere Palace (Oberes Belvedere) constitute an ensemble near Vienna Main Railway Station (Hauptbahnhof). Both palaces are venues of a museum and gallery named Belvedere. Next to the Lower Belvedere one also can visit art exhibitions in the former Orangery and the Palace Stables of the ensemble.
Bensberg Palace
At the beginning of the 18th century, Italian Baroque architect Matteo Alberti designed Bensberg Palace (Schloss Bensberg). Today the former hunting lodge for the Counts Palatine of the Rhine houses a 5-Star Grand hotel. [German]
Jindřichův Hradec in Bohemia
In the Bohemian town of Jindřichův Hradec, a castle of the same name is located. Its former German name was Neuhaus (New House). The literal translation of the Czech name means Henry Castle. Worth seeing is the roundel from 1596, which is counted among the principal works of the Bohemian Renaissance. [German]
City Castle in Weimar
The city castle (Stadtschloss) stands out due to its tower. A baroque hood covers the tall building. Large fires caused renewals of the residence many times. In 1789, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was involved in one of these rebuilding projects as head of the castle construction commission (Schlossbaukommission). [German]
Sundial at the Albrechtsburg
This sundial is one of two pieces attached to a corner of Albrechtsburg. The Albrechtsburg is deemed one of the first palace buildings in Germany. Even from a distance, you can see the towering white walls of the late Gothic castle when approaching Meissen. [German]
Hohenschwangau Castle
From the balcony of Neuschwanstein Castle, I got a fine view of the nearby Hohenschwangau Castle. Whereas Neuschwanstein is known as a dream castle built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Hohenschwangau was the castle of his parents and his childhood. Living there, he probably forged out plans for a palace of his own the first time.
Falkenlust hunting lodge
Jagdschloss Falkenlust is a hunting lodge in Brühl. Together with Augustusburg Palace (Schloss Augustusburg) and the park grounds, Falkenlust hunting lodge forms an ensemble. In 1984 this ensemble has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. [German]
Augustusburg Palace in Brühl
Augustusburg Palace (Schloss Augustusburg) was built in Brühl in the 18th century. Jagdschloss Falkenlust and Schloss Augustusburg form an ensemble and, together with the castle grounds, have been listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage since 1984. [German]
Marienbrücke in Schwangau
A longshot of the Marienbrücke taken from a balcony of Neuschwanstein Castle (Schloss Neuschwanstein). From there one has an excellent view over the whole castle. The bridge can be reached by bus starting near the ticket office in Hohenschwangau.