Charlottenburg in Berlin is one of the most beautiful and iconic palaces for the German capital. More than a million tourists visit it annually, who remain impressed by the luxurious interiors of the castle and the well-kept park.
General information
Charlottenburg Palace is one of the most famous and most popular palace and park ensembles in Germany for tourists. Located in the metropolitan area of Charlottenburg (western part of Berlin).
The castle became famous thanks to the fact that Sofia Charlotte, the wife of the Prussian king Frederick I, lived in it. She was a very talented and versatile woman who knew several European languages, played good on several musical instruments and loved to arrange disputes, inviting famous people to her palace philosophers and scientists.
In addition, she was one of the first in Prussia to establish a private theater (in the castle of Charlottenburg) and contributed in every way to the creation of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin.
Interestingly, now all the rights to the castle do not belong to the state, but to the foundation of the Prussian palaces and parks of Berlin and Brandenburg.
Short story
The Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin was erected under Frederick I and his wife, Sofia Charlotte (later, a landmark was named after her). The year of foundation of the royal residence is 1699.
Interestingly, the castle began to be built near the village of Lyuttsov, which stood on the Spree River. Then it was a few km from Berlin. Over time, the city grew, and the palace was in the capital.
In the 17-18 century, the castle was known as Litzenburg. It was a small building in which Frederick I periodically rested. But time passed, and gradually new buildings were added to the summer residence. The final point of construction was the installation of a huge dome, on top of which is a statue of Fortune. Thus was born the famous Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.
The interior of the castle impressed guests with its luxury and beauty: gilded bas-reliefs on the walls, exquisite statues, beds with velvet canopies and collections of French and Chinese porcelain dishes.
It is interesting that the famous Amber Room was built here, and later, as a gift, was handed over to Peter I.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the western part of the palace was converted into a greenhouse, and an Italian summer house was built in the garden.
During the First World War, Charlottenburg Castle was used as a hospital, and after numerous bombings (World War II) it completely turned into ruins. At the end of the 20th century, it was possible to restore.
Palace today – what to see
The First and Second World Wars did not pass without a trace, and the castle was restored more than once. Nevertheless, most of the exhibits have been preserved, and today everyone can see them. Inside the palace you can visit the following rooms:
- Friedrich’s apartments can be safely called one of the most luxurious and pompous chambers in the palace. On the walls and ceiling are not bright, but very exquisite frescoes; above the entrance to the room are gilded stucco moldings and figures of angels. In the center stands a snow-white clarinet.
- The White Hall was intended to receive guests. In this room you can see the marble busts of Dante, Petrarch, Tasso, as well as admire the huge crystal chandelier on the painted ceiling.
- Front Golden Hall. The largest and brightest room in the palace. On the walls are gold columns and bas-reliefs, on the floor there is parquet, and the ceiling was painted by the best German and French artists. Of the furniture there is only a small chest of drawers, a mirror and a fireplace.
- The red living room is a small room in which members of the royal family gathered in the evenings. Here you can see a rich collection of paintings by German artists.
- Porcelain Hall. In this small room were the most expensive and valuable collections of French and Chinese porcelain (more than 1000 items).
- The Oak Gallery is a long corridor that will connect the eastern and central parts of the castle. The ceiling is decorated with wood, on the walls are portraits of members of the royal family in massive golden frames.
- The library in the castle of Charlottenburg is small, because the royal family rested in the castle only in the summer.
- Big greenhouse. Here, as many centuries ago, you can see rare plant species. In addition, the conservatory regularly hosts concerts and theme nights.
Palace Park
The castle park was created on the initiative of Sofia Charlotte, who was very fond of studying and collecting different types of plants. Initially, the garden was planned to be designed in the style of French Baroque gardens with a large number of intricate flower beds, trees of unusual shapes and arbors.
However, English gardens began to enter into fashion, the elements of which were taken as a basis. So, in the castle park made a free layout of paths and planted different groups of trees (conifers, deciduous) and bushes in different parts of the garden.
The central part of the park is a small pond where ducks, swans and fish swim. Interestingly, horses, ponies and sheep periodically walk around the park.
Also in the park at the castle of Charlottenburg there are several buildings, among which:
- Mausoleum. This is the tomb of Louise (Queen of Prussia) and her husband Frederick II Wilhelm.
- Tea Palace Belvedere. This is a small museum that displays collections of porcelain manufactories in Berlin.
- Italian summer house (or Shinkel Pavilion). Today there is an art museum where you can see paintings and sketches of works by German artists (most of the works belong to Schinkel – the most famous architect of the time).
Practical information
- Address: Spandauer Damm 20-24, Luisenplatz, 14059, Berlin, Germany.
- Opening hours: 10.00 – 17.00 (all days except Monday).
- The cost of visiting the castle: adult – 19 euros, child (under 18 years) – 15 euros. Please note that when buying tickets online (through the official website), tickets will cost 2 euros less. Entrance to the park is free.
- Official website: www.spsg.de.
Rates and schedules on the page are for June 2019.
Useful Tips
- Be sure to visit the porcelain room – tourists say that it was this small room that struck them the most.
- Allocate at least 4 hours to visit the park and Charlottenburg Castle in Berlin (the audio guide, which can be taken for free at the entrance, is designed for 2.5 hours).
- You can buy souvenirs and souvenirs at the box office, where entrance tickets to the castle are sold.
- In order to take photos in Charlottenburg Palace, you need to pay 3 euros.
- Since the entrance to the park is free, the locals advise you to come here at least 2 times – you won’t get around everything at a time.
Charlottenburg (Berlin) is one of those attractions of the German capital, which everyone will be interested in visiting.
Tour of the Red Damast Room of Charlottenburg Palace.
