Castles & Palaces
The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz – parks and palaces
As the first English landscape garden in mainland Europe, the 18th-century Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz brings together garden design and architectural styles in perfect harmony.
Covering an area of more than 140 square kilometres, palaces, more than 100 buildings in all shapes and sizes, and vast parks with varying designs were introduced to the river landscapes surrounding the Elbe and Mulde rivers. Constructed between 1769 and 1773 at the heart of Wörlitz Park, Wörlitz House became the first-ever classicist building in mainland Europe. During a period of over 40 years, more manor houses and parks were established in and around Dessau, before being interconnected by means of avenues, dyke paths and lines of sight.
Special highlights include the Georgium Palace and its Anhalt Picture Gallery, the Luisium Palace, Wörlitz Park and the wooded park on Sieglitzer Berg hill. This era was rounded off with Kühnau Park in 1805. From there, older structures in Oranienbaum and Mosigkau were incorporated into the overall concept, turning the landscape of modern-day Saxony-Anhalt into an open-air architecture museum, covering every era from antiquity to the modern day. Several holiday apartments will make you want to stay over for a night or two.