Come with me to the Prussian fairytale of Schloss Charlottenburg or Charlottenburg Palace Berlin! 🏰✨👸🏻
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It’s the largest and most important Prussian residence in the city and was originally built for Queen Sophie-Charlotte as a summer retreat in the 17th century.
Today, it’s a large museum where you can feel like royalty as you explore the rococo galleries, ballrooms and planned gardens.
You can explore the Altes Schloss, New Wing, Belvedere Tea Room, Mausoleum and the extensive planned gardens.
This was easily one of the highlights of my recent trip to Berlin as it was an oasis away from the busy streets of the city centre and a bit of a hidden gem.
You will honestly feel like a Prussian princess exploring all the beautiful rooms. Especially the Golden Gallery which felt like a scene out of Beauty and the Beast.
The palace is famous due to its sweeping landscaped gardens, ornate baroque rococo staterooms and extensive 18th-century French portrait gallery.
You’ll find the palace a little further out of the city centre in the Charlottenburg district close to the River Spree. It’s really easy to visit via public transport.
👸🏻 Charlottenburg Palace history 👸🏻
The original palace was commissioned by Sophie-Charlotte who married Friedrich III, the Elector of Brandenburg, in 1684.
He gifted her some land in the village of Lietzow just outside of Berlin and so it had the name Lietzenburg Palace. It was finally completed as a summer residence in 1699.
Many of the living quarters were designed by Sophie-Charlotte who was vastly intelligent and a great lover of the arts.
This palace is often called the ‘palace of muses’ as she’d invite famous poets, artists and philosophers to join her.
Even her husband could only visit the palace if she extended him an invitation!
After Frederick became King of Prussia in 1701, the new queen needed to impress her court and so she wanted many of the rooms redesigned to reflect her new royal status.
Unfortunately, she wouldn’t live to see her designs fully completed. After she died in 1705 at just 36, Frederick renamed the palace Charlottenburg in her honour.
The Prussian royals continued to use Charlottenburg as the preferred summer residence.
Frederick the Great (II) made several extensions like adding the New Wing, theatre hall and orangeries in the 1740s.
Queen Luise, who was much loved by her people, also made several updates and she lived here in the New Wing with her husband Frederick III during their reign.
Like Sophie-Charlotte, Luise also died young at 34 and her husband created the estate's mausoleum for her.
After that, it became a state building and even Napoleon used it as his office once upon a time.
Unfortunately, the palace was destroyed during WWII and many of the precious artefacts and paintings inside were looted.
However, significant efforts have been made to restore the palace to its former glory and Prussia’s royal summer residence now welcomes visitors once more!
P.s. I apologise in advance - forgive me for any of my German pronunciations 🤪😘!
⏳TIMESTAMPS⏳
00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Welcome Back!
01:02 - Charlottenburg History
02:05 - Schlossgarten Charlottenburg
05:15 - New Wing
05:49 - Golden Gallery
08:14 - Altes Schloss (Old Palace)
12:20 - Kleine Orangerie Café
13:55 - Mausoleum
16:05 - Final thoughts
16:33 - Thank you for watching!
📸 Filmed by me with my iPhone 15 Pro Max and Geralt the Tripod
🎶 Thanks for the music - Brandenburg Concerto No4-1 BWV1049 - Classical Whimsical by Kevin MacLeod • Kevin MacLeod - Brande...
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