In Germany, we can find several monuments, buildings, and works made by man that impresses us with their grandeur and beauty. Some of them are the beautiful palaces, with a variety of inspirations that make up the list of points that are worth the visit of the traveler who is in Germany.
The term “palace” comes from the Palatine Hill of Rome, where those belonging to the upper classes of a society built their sumptuous houses. As we already said in the post about castles, some people confuse the two terms, so we give a tip to quickly identify each other: the most visible difference is that a palace is not fortified.
Now we are going to know some of the beautiful palaces that we can visit in Germany.
Schwerin Palace
Schwerin Castle fascinates all newcomers to the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is an architectural masterpiece, consisting of 653 rooms and dozens of pointed towers. It sits on an island in the middle of Lake Schwerin, standing out over the water. The first records of a castle in this place date from 942, but the main parts of the current castle were built between 1845 and 1857, at the request of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II, making a bold statement, affirming the power and nobility of his lineage. At that time, the German aristocracy was weakened, due to the impact of the war with France and the revolutions of 1848. It was not only a palace but also a message affirming the power of the Dukes of Mecklenburg.
A highlight of the castle is its gardens, careful in every detail with rare plant species and sculptures open to the visitor. The Grand Duke managed to create a unique legacy, a great statement about his family’s glorious past.
Heidelberg Castle-Palace
The ruins of the once-grand Heidelberg Castle are located atop a rocky hill above the university city of Heidelberg, attracting around 1 million visitors a year. The history of Heidelberg Castle is a cycle of construction and destruction. It is known that the first foundations were laid in the 11th century, divided into two separate complexes – an ‘upper’ and an ‘inferior’ castle.
The buildings in the “tallest” castle were struck by lightning in 1537 and destroyed by fire. In 1613, Frederick V, Prince-elector of the Palatinate, married Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of the King of England, and decided to transform the castle into a palace, carrying out works and changing the configuration of the fortified castle. Afterward, the castle of Heidelberg was totally destroyed in the Thirty Years’ War and later, by the French at the end of the century. XVII. Amazingly, a lightning bolt can fall twice in the same place. In 1764, the remains of the palace were struck by lightning again, causing a fire that swept through the remaining ruins. From this episode, the fate of the castle-palace as an eternal ruin was sealed.
An interesting fact is that the citizens of Heidelberg used the bricks from the ruins as a source of building materials for their own homes. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures in the north of the Alps. On our guided tour to Heidelberg, we take travelers to discover the curiosities and mysteries of this special place. With our private guided tours, the traveler is taken behind the scenes of the palace, not open to the general public.
Herrenchiemsee Palace
Located on Herreninsel (“The Isle of Men”, one of the islands in Lake Chiemsee), we find the Palace of Herrenchiemsee, one of the great works of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The initial idea of King Ludwig II was to build a copy of the Palace of Versailles as a tribute to “King Sol”, Louis XIV of France. The project started in 1878, intended to be a monument to the absolute monarchy, with no practical function. Architect Georg Dollmann studied the original model and even reconstructed rooms that have long since ceased to exist in Versailles.
The main rooms are some of the best examples of interior design from the 19th century, and much more furnished in a detailed and splendid way than those in Versailles. No other porcelain collection is as comprehensive and of high quality as the ones we find there, and the magnificent textile pieces are equally unique.
One of the artistic ideals of the 19th century, the “perfection” of historical styles, was carried out at its best in the Palace of Herrenchiemsee.
Sigmaringen Palace
This beautiful palace belongs to a line of the Hohenzollern family, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The first buildings on the site of this building are dated to the end of the early Middle Ages, during the early 11th century. After many renovations and changes, the current palace was rebuilt after a fire in 1893, and only the towers of the old medieval fortress remain.
Like the Heidelberg palace, Sigmaringen’s palace was initially built as a fortress. In the 19th century, Prince Karl Anton transformed the palace into a meeting place for Europe’s nobility. Parts of the castle have been rebuilt and decorated to transform Sigmaringen’s palace into a luxury destination of the time.
Sigmaringen’s palace is still privately owned and offers guided tours through its incredible interior rooms.
Ludwigsburg Palace
Located 14 km north of Stuttgart, the Ludwigsburg Palace was initially built in 1704 to serve as a hunting residence for Duke Eberhard Ludwig of Wuerttemberg. In 1718, the palace became the main residence of the duke, and thus, the place was remodeled to more appropriate accommodation.
Around the palace are the beautiful gardens, which are the venue for the fun Pumpkin Festival, which takes place annually. In addition to visiting the ducal apartments, the Ludwigsburg Palace, known as ”Versailles of the Swabia”, also houses the Ceramics Museum, the Fashion Museum, with pieces from the 17th to the 20th century, and the Baroque Gallery, with several works.
In our private guided tours, we can visit all the palaces, among others, in addition to offering themed guided tours in some, experiences and also the option of accommodation.
