Schloss Benrath

Düsseldorf, Germany

Schloss Benrath is a Baroque-style maison de plaisance (pleasure palace) in Benrath, which is now a borough of Düsseldorf. It was erected for the Elector Palatine Charles Theodor and his wife, Countess Palatine Elisabeth Auguste of Sulzbach, by his garden and building director Nicolas de Pigage. Construction began in 1755 and was completed in 1770. The ensemble at Benrath has been proposed for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The main building, the central corps de logis, for the Elector Palatine and his wife is flanked by two arched symmetrical wings, the maisons de cavalière, which originally housed the servants. They partially surround a circular pond, the Schlossweiher (palace pond), in the north. On the southside lies a long rectangular pond, the Spiegelweiher (mirror pond). From the predescant castle, which stood formerly in the mid of the long rectangular pond on the southside of the palace, is conserved only one of the servant wings, the so-called Alte Orangerie (Old Orangery).

The main building is a museum with guided tours. Sometimes music concerts are also performed. The two wings house two museums since 2002: the Museum for European Garden Art in the east wing and the Museum of Natural History in the west wing.

The palace is surrounded by a baroque square hunting park with two crossing diagonal alleys and a circular alley.

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Details

Founded: 1755-1770
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Germany
Historical period: Emerging States (Germany)

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Tony Hung (6 months ago)
Great small former hunting palace to see right outside of Düsseldorf! Lovely garden as well :) Nice to spend an afternoon over there.
Bill MacGregor (7 months ago)
The castle is the Hunting lodge and weekender for the Elector of the Palatinate, an important individual in 18thC politics and History. We visited on a Monday, and it was open for visitors which was a surprise as normally museums are closed on Mondays in Germany. The central building was being renovated at the back sansome views over the gardens, were limited, never the less what we saw was ok. There was a good exhibition on the local wildlife, and how they are affected by the Rhine. Good for small children. The main building had an English audio guide that I ditched after a few minutes as it felt like I was listening to a radio play rather than a guide. The main building has wooden floors, so they make you wear felt slippers on your outdoor shoes, challenging to say the least to walk on, skaters may have more technique. Although restored, the House did look quite grand. There is a Café on-site that serves good coffee and cake at reasonable prices, worth a visit on a wet Monday afternoon.
Robyn Early (9 months ago)
Beautiful grounds. Lots to see and a great place to take a long strlll through the garden. Definitely recommend.
Laurens Handels (11 months ago)
From the outside, the castle looks somewhat dated, especially on a gray February afternoon. However, inside it is quite beautiful. The ticket to the castle also grants access to the two other museums on the premises. The park is freely accessible and offers nice walking trails.
Carla Cruz (11 months ago)
Just amazing. We are not German and I found it on Google Maps, we don’t regret visiting this place. I recommend it. It’s inside a beautiful park, the inside is amazing and beautiful. Inside the park you will find a pound with geese and Ducks. Everything is cute. You can take the Rheinbahn at the Düsseldorf Central (U76 and then U72). You are gonna spend 30 minutes or so going there but I think it’s not a lot.
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