Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace was built in the late 1600s as a vacation home for Sophie Charlotte, wife of Friedrich III an Elector of Brandenburg. The structure of the building has a rich baroque style. It was formally named Lietzenburg. When 36 year old Sophie Charlotte died unexpectedly in 1705, from pneumonia. Her husband renamed Lietzenburg to Charlottenburg in her honour.
Over the years generations of royals whom inherited the castle expanded and renovated it to their tastes and styles. These renovations represent the eras they lived, giving the beautiful palace unique styles throughout all the rooms.
Missing from the original structure is the Amber Room which Frederick William gave to Peter the Great: Tsar of Russia in 1716 as a symbolic seal of Prussia’s alliance with Russia. The room had a baroque style that shone beautifully with golden tones of amber. Precious stones, mirrors and golden leaf panels embellished its walls. Some labelled this room the eighth wonder of the world. Sadly, during the end of the second world war it was dismantled and hidden for safe keeping never found again.
Significant restorations were done to the palace after World War ll greatly damaged it.
Today Charlottenburg Palace is the largest castle in Berlin and the only remaining royal residence in the city that dates back to the Holenzollern family. Portraits of the Holenzollern family are exhibited on an oak panel wall in the Oak Gallery.
An equestrian statue of Friedrich Wilahelm l was saved during the War by hiding it in storage at the bottom of lake Tegeler. This magnificent statue now stands centered of the courtyard at the front of the palace. At the bottom of the statue are four chained warriors symbolizing the four temperaments describing personalities: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic.
This exquisite palace, with its beautiful formal gardens and surrounding woods, is a renowned tourist attraction creating a lovely oasis in the city. For an admission fee visitors may enter and browse through sections of the Palace. There’s plenty of beautiful rooms to view such as the famous porcelain cabinet room located in the original section. This alluring room is adorned with many fascinating, and exquisite porcelain ornaments that show off their authentic influence from the Orient. The crown jewels, rare royal silver from the Hohenzollern family collection, the famous snuffboxes from Frederick the Great and porcelain dinnerware full of rich colours and form are exceptionally displayed.
The oldest section of the palace features a baroque style. Enjoy gazing upon the rooms of Queen Sophie Charlotte and Frederick l.
The new wing located on the east side of the Palace is designed in a rococo fashion. Here you will find the luxurious chambers of Frederick the Great as well as Friedrich Wilhelm II’s more modest winter lodgings. These rooms have been restored and displayed for everyone to enjoy with admirable French furnishings and artwork that belonged to the monarch.
The west side of the palace accommodates two rococo style grandiose ballrooms. The White Hall with its renowned acoustics was once used as a royal dining room and the Golden Gallery, a 42 metre long opulent ballroom, lavishly decorated with mirrors, marble and gilded ornaments. This royal ballroom displays a grand show of French paintings from Frederick’s private collection from the turn of the century as well as additions from other royals with marble sculptures from the area of the nineteenth century.
This wing also contains the impressive orangery built with a baroque style, once used to store rare citrus trees through the winter. In the summer around 500 orange, lemon and sour orange trees adorn the premises creating refreshing fragrants and scenic atmosphere for royal festivities. A large vestibule and dome tower; crowned by a gilded statue weather vane; representing fortune and luck were added later. Today these illuminated grandiose ballrooms are frequently used for concerts, weddings, banquets or art events. The palace former theatre; now a museum, is an extension to this wing leading out to the famous formal gardens. When strolling along these spectacular grounds you will come across structures such as the 1810 neoclassical Mausoleum of Queen Louise, the New Pavilion; this classical style pavilion displays furniture, sculptures and artwork conjuring up the style and era of the 1800’s, front of it are two pillars topped with statues that symbolize victory as well as the Belvedere. This structure’s exterior is that of a tiny castle. It was built in the late 18th century, originally as a teahouse for the royals. Today the belvedere houses famous collections of royal Porcelain.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: You can visit the grounds and gardens for free. Some interior portions are subject to an admission fee.Charlottenburg Palace Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Address: Spandauer Damm 10-22, 14059 Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030 320910
Official Website: Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace Reviews
Rated out of 5
We had a wonderful visit here earlier this year. A beautifully decorated and superb example of old palaces that have been restored.
Not difficult to get to as the transport system locally is excellent, I try us well worth the visit.
It is required to book a time in advance, my advice is to book early as there is such a lot to see.
Thoroughly enjoyed the walk through history that it afforded us. Thank you.
The Irish Chef Abroad - a month ago
This was a great experience. The palace is far bigger and grander than I'd expected, the rooms and decor are varied and all unbelievably preserved. It certainly The art, jewels, silverware and historical items were intricate and very grand and the gardens maintained very well. Id recommend the ticket for all areas as both the old and new wings are definitely worth a visit
Tom Brennan - 2 weeks ago
Visited on a Wednesday noon so it wasn't very busy. However, the rooms were quite warm, maybe about 28c/82f. I'd recommend to set aside maybe 3 hours if you're visiting the entire palace + gardens. The ticket price was quite reasonable to visit the Old Palace and New Wing together. You have to walk outside to reach the New Wing though. The exterior is definitely not as great as the interior, but the beautifully decorated rooms inside definitely made up for that. There are English and German translations in every single room outlining the history and furniture. A background on German/Prussian history before visiting is a good idea if you want to comprehend the information easier. It is quite a feat that some rooms were recreated to the extent that they were after the palace was bombed in WWII. As for the garden, it was quite expansive and has great trails, views, and waterfowl(swans, ducks, and coots). I'd definitely give the garden a visit if you're in the area but don't want to see the palace.
Jerry Huang - a week ago
Definitely a must-see! The building is massive, and it took us hours to explore. Each room was fascinating with so much detail to take in. The exterior and gardens were beautiful too, with lots of people relaxing and enjoying the space. Highly recommend if you’re into history, architecture, or just want a stunning place to walk around and take pictures.
Alyssa G - a month ago
Loved it. Beautiful inside, the gardens are nice to walk through, and the staff are friendly. The price is decent. I recommend it.
My only small complaint is they could use two of the information plaques in the rooms. We were often waiting and waiting to view one or just gave up and walked through, not knowing what it said.
Meda Wara - a month ago
Directions
How to get to Charlottenburg Palace by U-Bahn, S-Bahn
Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn Line(s): U7, S41, S42, S46
Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn Station(s): Berlin Westend, Richard-Wagner-Platz
From Westend Station head east on Spandauer Damm.
From Richard-Wagner-Platz head northwest on Otto-Suhr-Allee the slight left onto Sammlung Scarf-Gerstenberg.
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr
