Palaces in Germany – home to kings and emperors
The palaces where German emperors, kings and princes once conducted the affairs of state and held court are now testimony to a bygone age. With their strong walls and defences castles in the Middle Ages still served as places of refuge, but from the Renaissance onwards their main purpose was to demonstrate the power, wealth and prestige of their lords. Never more so than in the Barock era, when kings and princes vied with each other to create the most exquisitely furnished interiors, spacious parks, picturesque orangeries and romantic temples and pavilions – all the trappings of luxury as it was then understood.
With their parks and gardens, lavish stables, courtiers' residences, offices and chapels housing family tombs, these palaces are a prominent feature of the German landscape and give it a unique and unmistakable charm. Today these royal abodes and their grounds are often open to the public for recreation or cultural purposes. Many house museums and art collections. It's no surprise that a good number have also been turned into hotels and restaurants, for a whiff of history and past glories is always something special.
For more ideas and suggestions, please click on:
www.deutschland-tourismus.de/DEU/kultur_und_erlebnis/burgen_und_schloesser.htm
