Moritzburg Castle - beautiful example of Saxon Baroque style


About 13 kilometres north-west of the Dresden is located Baroque castle Morizburg. It is one of the most picturesque castles in Saxony, Germany. The castle lies on a symmetrical artificial island and has four round towers that beautifully reflect in the blue water of the pond. It is named after Duke Moritz of Saxony, who had a hunting lodge built in the Renaissance style on a granite dome in 1542. The surrounding woodlands and lakes have been a favourite hunting area of the electors and kings of Saxony. 


Between 1661 and 1671 the Baroque chapel was added to the castle. The chapel was consecrated in a Catholic rite in 1697 during the coronation of Augustus the Strong to the King of Poland. 


Augustus the Strong in 1723 began the large renovation work from Renaissance to Baroque hunting and pleasure palace. During the reconstruction works the large pond surrounding the castle’s artificial island was built from what was originally four smaller ponds. One alley running directly east visually connects the castle with the other buildings in surroundings. The park and the gardens in the French style are added to the castle on the adjacent land to the north. The garden's layout follows that of other European royal courts of the time.
The best Saxon craftsmen and artists collaborated on the interiors of the seven halls and over 200 rooms of the castle. 


After the death of Augustus the Strong, the conversion remained unfinished. The surroundings of the castle were further developed by Elector Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, a great-grandson of Augustus II the Strong, at the end of the 18th century. 
The last resident of the castle Morizburg was Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony. He was dispossessed in 1945 by the postwar Soviet administration.


Today Moritzburg is a renowned meeting place for tourists and lovers of Saxon Baroque. The interior of the castle is furnished with examples of opulent baroque decor from the time of Augustus the Strong. The walls are covered in 17th century gold-gilded leather. Many rooms' furnishings are dedicated to courtly hunting. Eleven rooms are decorated with painted leather wallpaper from the 17th century.


Moritzburg Castle offers the guided tours. The audio guide is available in German, English and Czech at the cash desk.


*  *  *
This post is linked at: 
    The Weekly Postcard
Labels:
Location: Morizburg Castle, Germany

Comments

  1. Peabea Scribbles6/6/17 10:24 pm

    Love the view of the castle from the water in and around. Such a beautiful building. :)

    Peabea@Peabea Scribbles

    ReplyDelete
  2. NCSue6/6/17 11:22 pm

    Lovely. I'm always fascinated by castles - we don't have any in North Carolina!
    ;)
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/06/my-happy-place.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bill 6/6/17 11:36 pm

    wow--- I really enjoy your posts, I will probably never get there, but you have allowed me to see so much! Great pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ruth7/6/17 2:23 am

    I am in love with all things related to Germany after a visit a couple of weeks ago. I have seen photos of this castle and would love to visit (like so many other places). #WordlessWednesday

    ReplyDelete
  5. rupam sarma7/6/17 3:57 am

    Amazing Castle. Loved to read.
    Thanks for all pics.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lady Fi7/6/17 5:41 am

    That is so gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  7. RedFuchsia7/6/17 7:21 am

    Piękna budowla:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7/6/17 7:11 pm

    Your images of the castle are so beautiful. I especially love the second shot.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Unknown7/6/17 8:42 pm

    23 years in Germany and never once have I managed to visit Dresden or the surrounding area. What a shame, I see!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Barbara G7/6/17 9:09 pm

    Piękne miejsce, warte odwiedzenia

    ReplyDelete
  11. Andrea8/6/17 3:33 am

    I am so amazed at the old buildings in temperate countries specially in Europe. They can preserve them wonderfully and very well. The technology of the past can even withstand the test of time and the elements!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Amy9/6/17 1:29 am

    It looks so good even though it's so old!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Carol @Comfort Spring Station9/6/17 12:33 pm

    Beautiful castle and skies

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rhonda Albom9/6/17 12:39 pm

    This castle is stunning. I don't believe I have ever seen this architectural style before. Thanks for the great photos

    ReplyDelete
  15. Gentle Joy9/6/17 3:47 pm

    What a beautiful castle... and pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Shail9/6/17 6:45 pm

    Wow. What a sight. I love these pictures, especially the second and third.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jackie McGuinness9/6/17 10:01 pm

    Breathtaking!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Spare Parts and Pics9/6/17 11:35 pm

    The areas you photograph (as well as your photos) are consistently so beautiful!! Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Amanda10/6/17 12:45 am

    Stunning! I would love to see Germany some day. Thanks for the history as well. Very intriguing.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lorna ✶ The Painted Globe10/6/17 1:01 am

    Beautiful images! I wish I'd known about Moritzburg when we were in Dresden a few years ago, would definitely have made the effort to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Linda10/6/17 6:21 am

    Spectacular place! I love the images with the water.

    ReplyDelete
  22. s.c10/6/17 11:01 am

    Good subject, great view. I like it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Jim10/6/17 11:59 am

    Beautiful architecture.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Breathing In Grace10/6/17 3:16 pm

    Oh, my, that is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not a student of architecture, but I do know what I like and those domes on the rooftops are beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Mascha10/6/17 5:32 pm

    Great photos! I well know this castle...
    Greetings from Germany and thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  26. Małgosia i Piotr10/6/17 9:11 pm

    Miejsce wygląda wspaniale :) pozdrawiamy

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous10/6/17 10:37 pm

    Piękny zamek, nie znalazłam jednak tłumacza...
    Pozdrawiam :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anda11/6/17 12:21 am

    I've seen a few pictures of Moritzburg Castle before, but none of them was as beautiful as yours. The view of the castle from the water is absolutely fantastic. #TheWeklyPostcard

    ReplyDelete
  29. Jim11/6/17 2:24 pm

    I just love how so many castles started as hunting lodges. This one is certainly beautiful with gorgeous parklike grounds surrounding it. I wonder if they hold any festivals there. Thanks for linking up! #wkendtravelinspiration

    ReplyDelete
  30. Jo11/6/17 6:39 pm

    Beautiful position on the lake- you go to some really fabulous places! #Wkendtravelinspiration

    ReplyDelete
  31. James11/6/17 9:15 pm

    Your photos are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Tom11/6/17 9:47 pm

    ...spectacular.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Billy Blue Eyes12/6/17 9:22 pm

    Quite a stunning building that

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous12/6/17 9:39 pm

    Wow, so perfectly symmetrical! Dresden, probably is in the former DDR? When we would ever come back to this area of Germany, this castle would be on my list! Can't imagine how beautiful the inside of this castle is! Many thanks for sharing it with All Seasons! have a lovely week.

    ReplyDelete
  35. hilarystyle.me13/6/17 5:19 am

    Beautiful photography! Makes me feel like I could just step right in... #theweeklypostcard

    ReplyDelete
  36. betty-NZ13/6/17 10:15 am

    Absolutely fantastic! i didn't know this type of architecture existed.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Alexa T14/6/17 9:32 pm

    So splendid; lovely classic architecture and fantastic views!! A very wonderful area to have a travel!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Agness of Fit Travelling15/6/17 4:05 pm

    This is a truly spectacular castle! I love the architecture!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Liz15/6/17 4:25 pm

    A grand castle surrounded by beautiful landscape!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Pat Tillett20/6/17 2:44 am

    Beautiful photographs of an amazing place!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I will be very much appreciate all your comments and insights. Thank you.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Most Popular Articles

Azalea and Rhododendron Park in Kromlau, Germany

Image
Kromlau is a small and charming village located in the municipality of Gablenz, Germany, less than 6 kilometres from the Polish border. In Kromlau is one of the largest landscape parks in Saxony. The park lies in the Muskau Arch area (learn more at:   Muskau Arch - UNESCO Global Geopark ).  The park is a beautiful example of an English garden and has many small ponds and lakes. The Azalea and Rhododendron Park in Kromlau was commissioned by Friedrich Herrmann Rötschke, the knight of Kromlau, in the middle of the 19th century.  The Rötschke's landscape park was created after location of Fürst-Pückler-Park in Muskau ( lick learn more at: Muskau Park - World Heritage Site ) . The "little Pückler" spared a little bit of money. Rare woody plants, mythological and rococo statues, basalt caves as well as a bow bridge of stone blocks and basalt stone were design elements of his park. He also built the hunting lodge in the park and surrounded it with flower beds. 
Keep reading

Malbork - the world's largest brick castle

Image
Malbork is a town in northern Poland in the Żuławy region (Vistula delta). There is located an impressive Medieval castle. This biggest brick castle in the world and the largest castle of the Gothic period is one of Europe's most imposing fortresses - "the largest pile of bricks north to Alps". The castle in Malbork was built by the Teutonic Order after the conquest of Old Prussia. The work was started in 1274 on the southeastern bank of the river Nogat. The fortress was named Castle of Mary - Marienburg in German. In 1309 the castle and the city became the capital city of Teutonic Order's state. High Castle surrounded by moats and walls and became the office of Grand Masters and the order's highest officials. Middle Castle become house of lower rank brothers and guests. There was also a Great Refectory infirmary for older and ill brothers. In 14th and 15th century was build third segment - Lower Castle - armory, granary, storehouse, as well as St. Lawrenc
Keep reading

Mountain ranges in Poland

Image
Tatra Mountains and Pieniny Mountains Poland is a relatively low-lying country. More than 90% percent of its territory lies ca 300 m above sea level, but there are three main mountain ranges located mainly in the southern part of the country. They run in a direction from west to east and include the Carpathian Mountains (Carpathians), the Sudety Mountains (Sudetes), and the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holy Cross Mountains).  All of these mountain ranges, except for the Świętokrzyskie Mountains form a natural southern border of Poland. Sudetes Śnieżka (1603 m a.s.l.)  - the highest peak of Karkonosze Mountains Sudetes (Sudety Mountains) The Sudetes stretches from eastern Germany along the south-western Poland. The highest peak of the range is Śnieżka in the Karkonosze Mountains (Giant Mountains) on the Czechia-Poland border, which is 1,603 metres in elevation. The Sudetes are usually divided into Eastern Sudetes (in Poland are two ranges: Golden Mountains and Śnieżn
Keep reading

Former industrial empire of Izrael Poznański in Łódź, Poland

Image
Spinning mill (today hotel) and main gate of former Poznański's factory   The beginnings of the Poznański textile factory  Izrael K. Poznański was born on 25 August 1833 in Aleksandrów near Łódź, as the youngest son of Kalman Poznański. A year later, the Poznańskis moved to Lódź. In 1851 he married Leonia Hertz, daughter of the clerk of Jewish hospitals in Warsaw. This marriage enriches Izrael Poznański’s, a master of „weaving profession” at the time, fortune by a manufacturer worth 500 roubles. Main gate of the former Poznański's factory He started to work for Karol Scheibler's company in Łódź. However, he was gradually setting out to accomplish his greatest project - the construction of a great factory. From 1871 Poznański began to buy out the green-licks between Ogrodowa, Stodolniana (now: Zachodnia) and Podrzeczna Streets. The construction of Poznański’s industrial complex began in the 70s of 19th century. The first building was a weaving mill with a saw-t
Keep reading

Externsteine - magical rock formation, Germany

Image
During travelling through the scenic Teutoburg Forest in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalianear, you can find the picturesque group of rocks a few kilometres from the town of Horn-Bad Meinberg. Its name - Extersteine - usually translates as stones of the ridge. This is a highly unusual rock formation. In an area otherwise devoid of large rocks, the soaring, slender columns of Externsteine stand out as they rise sharply and with no little majesty from the surrounding landscape. The 13 sandstone pillars have been ornamented over the millennia by human hand. Yet the true origins of the star stones can be discovered through geology. The unusual geological formation consists of a hard, erosion-resistant sandstone (so-called Osningsandstein), laid down during the early Cretaceous era about 100 million years ago. Thousands of years of erosion have washed the rocks from the surrounding soil and then were formed the surface of the stone. The rock formation stretches for seve
Keep reading

Rupea Citadel: One of Transylvania’s top Medieval fortress

Image
Rupea Fortress is one of the most interesting medieval castles in Transylvania, Romania. The name of the citadel comes from Latin rupes meaning " stone ". Guarded by thick strong walls, the impressive and huge fortress is located on top of of 120 m-high basalt massive and it is perfectly visible from the scenic road Sighisoara-Brasov. It is a refuge castle, also known as a peasant citadel with four areas reinforced with polygonal towers, two interior courtyards and three defence towers. Rupea Citadel has the form of an ascending spiral (snail shell). The castle is built on four premises: Upper citadel, Middle citadel and Lower citadel. Rupea Citadel is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Romania, the first signs of human settlements dating from the Paleolithic and early Neolithic. There was a fortified city in the Dacian time. According to the legend - Decebal, the last Dacian King, took his life on the hill. He cut his throat with a single move of his
Keep reading

Garden-City Podkowa Leśna

Image
Podkowa Leśna (literal meaning - "Horseshoe Grove", in full: Miasto-ogród Podkowa Leśna - "Garden-City Podkowa Leśna") is a town in central Poland, in Grodzisk Mazowiecki County, (Masovian Voivodeship). The town is located not far from Warsaw in a beautiful setting of the Młochowskie Forests. Forests surround the town from three sides (the east, the south, and the north). The area where is situated Podkowa Leśna, since 1861 belonged to industrialist and hunter Stanislaw Lilpop. The creation of the town was connected directly to the Electric Railroad. The line was constructed and operated under the original name "Elektryczne Koleje Dojazdowe" (Electric Commuter Rail) by a privately owned electrical power industry consortium "Siła i Światło" (Power and Light) established with the participation of British capital shortly after Poland regained independence after World War I in 1918. "Garden-City Podkowa Leśna" was based on 1
Keep reading

Viscri - picturesque Saxon village in Transylvania, Romania

Image
Fortified churches in Transylvania  Romania is a beautiful and very interesting country. You can admire there magnificent scenery and a lot of splendid architectural monuments. Very interesting and picturesque architectural objects are fortified churches in Transylvania region. There are more than 100 of well preserved fortified churches from the 13th to 16th centuries. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania are seven villages founded by the Transylvanian Saxons. They are characterised by the great variety of architectural styles. They are dominated by fortified churches and characterised by a specific settlement pattern that has been preserved since the late Middle Ages (see also: Fortified Church in Hărman, Romania ). Fortified church in Viscri - UNESCO World Heritage Site One of the most interesting Saxon fortified churches is located in the village of Viscri. The village is located in the centre of Romania, close t
Keep reading

Modlin Fortress - the largest fortification complex in Europe

Image
Not more than 34 km north of Warsaw, on the territory of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, in the fork of the Vistula River, the Narew River and Wkra River, is located Modlin Fortress, one of the largest fortresses in Poland and all of Europe. The fortress is a monument of defensive architecture of international significance. In Europe, only Verdun can compete with it.  Defence barracks Residential buildings History of Modlin Fortress The first fortifications around Modlin were built during the Swedish invasion in the 17th century, but the beginnings of the most impressing fortress in Europe falls in the first half of 19th century when Napoleon Bonaparte recognised the strategic importance of the area. In 1807 Emperor of the French ordered the construction of new fortifications. His military architects began to expand the fortress to both sides of the River Narew at the estuary into the Vistula to secure his leadership in Eastern Europe.  Officer's Cassino
Keep reading

Most Recent Articles

See Also