Germany's picture perfect garden
The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz in central Germany is a quintessential English landscape garden. Built by a prince and garden pioneer in the late 18th century, it is one of the largest English parks in Europe.
The prince and his garden
Covering an area of 142 square kilometers, the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm was created by Prince Leopold Franz of Anhalt-Dessau over a period of 40 years in the late 1700s. He skillfully incorporated natural elements, architecture and the fine arts into the parkland, which stretches along the banks of the Elbe River. The result is a work of art that continues to enchant visitors even today.
Freedom to roam
Prince Franz, a supporter of the French Enlightenment, first learned of the naturalistic and spacious English gardens while on educational trips through Europe. This idealized version of nature fit with his own world view, and he wanted his garden to reflect this vision as well. His park is an example of regard for the individual - the space has no fences and is open to all subjects.
Philosophical space
Many of the park's features demonstrate just how seriously Prince Franz took the values of the French Enlightenment. This unique view is a clear sign of religious tolerance, taking in the church on the right and the Jewish Synagogue on the left. The grounds of the Garden Kingdom were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for their use of humanistic principles in garden design.
A water wonderland
Prince Franz created his park in a landscape that had been sculpted by the Elbe River. He used streams, lakes and connecting channels as major design elements. Today, much like in the prince’s time, a gondola ride is the most romantic way to experience the garden. A round trip takes about 45 minutes and gives visitors exclusive views of the grounds.
Right out of a painting
Nineteen bridges span the various streams in the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm. Each one has a different design and provides insight into the history and technology of bridge construction. For example, there is a cast-iron bridge, a chain bridge modeled on the East Asian style, and this "white bridge" - a replica of one in the Kew Gardens in London.
Heart of the garden
The first building in the park was the Wörlitz Palace, completed in 1773 and designed by the prince’s friend, architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff. At a time when European garden design and architecture was dominated by Baroque, the palace in the style of an English country house was seen as scandalous. Today, the Wörlitz Palace is considered a sign of the beginning of German classicism.
Bella Italia in Wörlitz
With its miniature Mount Vesuvius and Villa Hamilton, the Stone Island on the artificial Wörlitz Lake reflects Prince Franz's love for Italy. The Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, Italy, was the prototype for Stone Island with its grottos and archways. Villa Hamilton was dedicated to British ambassador and Mount Vesuvius researcher Sir Hamilton and modeled on his summer house in the Bay of Naples.
Visual learning
Villa Hamilton houses Prince Franz's Italy impressions, Pompeian mural paintings, and antique vases and sculptures. The educational principle of the park founder becomes apparent again: Education through visual perception. He wanted to share his interest in antique art and impressions from his travels through Italy so that others would have the opportunity to experience it as well.
Volcanic attraction
Visitors of the park can even experience the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in a staged spectacle following standards from the 18th century. It starts with a gondola ride on a summer's night and has its peak at nightfall with fireworks. The last "eruption" took place in 2012.
Two wives named Louise
This gothic house was a private hideaway of the Prince which he had personally helped design. Here he lived not with his wife Louise Henriette Wilhelmine, but with the daughter of his gardener, Louise Schoch and the three children they had together. Louise Schoch was his second wife, a common practice accepted by society back then.
England and Italy in one house
The gothic house has a Venetian style façade facing the water. The Prince combined both of his passions - England and Italy - in one house, which was also used for agricultural purposes. The house was surrounded by fields and orchard meadows. Here the Prince bred silk worms and used them for his research.
Nature everywhere you look
Incorporating agriculture and cattle breeding into park design follows an English example as well. Prince Franz's park merged with its surrounding nature from the very start. There were no fences and the beauty and function were perfectly joined. The Prince's design was so popular that it was copied by many in Germany and continental Europe.
A garden for all
The Prince's park was an expensive hobby but in the end it was groundbreaking for horticulture in Germany. Maintenance costs of the park are still immense, nevertheless the entrance to the garden remains free of charge and the park can be accessed all year round. Just like the founder of the park had intended 200 years ago, the garden has remained a garden for all.