|
Germany's castles and palaces are both great and small, but many of them are full of art treasures, and all of them are open to the public.
- Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin is home to several museums and staterooms that can be visited on guided tours.
- Sanssouci, Frederick the Great's 18th-century rococo palace in Potsdam, is remarkable, in part because it suffered almost no damage during World War II. You can easily visit Sanssouci and its beautiful grounds on a daytrip from Berlin.
- Carefully reconstructed after WWII, the amazing Zwinger Palace in Dresden is now an unparalleled showcase for old master paintings and porcelain treasures.
- Nymphenburg Palace on the outskirts of Munich is another king-size showplace, and so is the gigantic Residenz, right in the heart of the city. With their precious paintings, porcelains, and furniture, these stately homes reveal aspects of German life and the monarchy that lasted up until 1918.
- For sheer, over-the-top opulence, nothing can compare to the fairy-tale castles built in the 19th century by Ludwig II of Bavaria. Neuschwanstein and Linderhof are preserved almost exactly as they were during Ludwig's lifetime.
- Used by the powerful prince-bishops until 1806, the Residenz in Würzburg is famed for its superb ceiling frescoes by Tiepolo.
- A palace that doubled as a fortress, the Marienburg crowns the vineyard-covered slopes above Würzburg and today houses the Mainfränkische Museum, featuring brilliant Renaissance-era woodcarvings by Tilman Riemenschneider.
- Perched on its crag high above Heidelberg, Heidelberg Castle suffered from war and fire, but it remains an impressive sight even in its semiruined state.
- For many visitors, the quintessential image associated with Germany is a castle on a hilltop. You do, indeed, find castles scattered throughout the country. Ruined castles dot the landscape of the Rhine and enhance its romantic appeal.
|
