DK Travel : Berlin : Schloss Charlottenburg

Schloss Charlottenburg

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The construction of Schloss Charlottenburg, designed as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, wife of the Elector Friedrich III, began in 1695. Between 1701 and 1713 Johann Friedrich Eosander added a cupola and the Orangerie was extended. Today, it has been extensively renovated.
Schloss Charlottenburg: www.spsg.de For more on Charlottenburg (see Charlottenburg & Spandau)

Top 10 Sights

1. Altes Schloss

The Baroque tower of the oldest part of the palace (1695) by Johann Arnold Nering is crowned by Richard Scheibe’s golden statue of Fortuna.
2. Porzellankabinett

The small, exquisite mirrored gallery has been faithfully restored to its original glory. Valuable porcelain items from China and Japan are on display.
3. Schlosskapelle

The luxurious splendour of the palace chapel recalls the once magnificent interior design of the palace, before it was destroyed in World War II. But appearances can be deceptive: apart from the pulpit which is preserved in its original form, the entire chapel – including the king’s box – is a costly reconstruction.
4. Monument to the Great Elector

The equestrian monument of Friedrich Wilhelm I is considered to be one of his most dignified portraits. Made in 1696–1703 by Andreas Schlüter, it originally stood on the Rathausbrücke, near the destroyed Stadtschloss.
5. Neuer Flügel

Built between 1740 and 1747 by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, the new wing contains Frederick the Great’s private quarters.
6. Schlosspark

The palace park, originally Baroque in style, was redesigned by Peter Joseph Lenné between 1818 and 1828 as an English-style landscape garden.
7. Belvedere

Friedrich Wilhelm II liked to escape to the romantic Belvedere, a summer residence built in 1788 by Carl Gotthard Langhans, which served as a tea pavilion. Today it houses a collection of precious Berlin porcelain objects.
8. Neuer Pavillon

This Italianate villa behind the palace, designed by Schinkel for Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1825, was inspired by the Villa Reale del Chiatamone in Naples. The pavilion clearly shows the Hohenzollern’s love of the Italian style.
9. Mausoleum

Slightly hidden, this Neo-Classical building by Schinkel, is the final resting place for Queen Luise and other Hohenzollerns.
10. Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte

The museum displays archaeological finds from prehistory right up to the Middle Ages, including tools, ceramics and textiles. Also on display is part of the famous Priamus treasure excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in Troy, which comprises precious golden jewellery from antiquity.

Practical Information

The Orangery Café (left of the main entrance) has an attractive garden. At weekends, the palace park is overcrowded, but a midweek early-evening stroll can be very romantic (open till 8pm). Spandauer Damm Admission charge in all museums Two-day ticket for all museums: €12 Altes Schloss: 9am–5pm Tue–Fri, 10am–5pm Sat, Sun Neuer Flügel: 10am–6pm Tue–Fri, 11am–6pm Sat, Sun (030) 32 09 11 Belvedere Apr–Oct: 10am–5pm Tue–Sun; Nov–Mar: noon–4pm Tue–Fri, noon–5pm Sat, Sun Neuer Pavillon 10am–5pm Tue–Sun (030) 32 09 14 43 Mausoleum Apr–Oct: 10am–noon and 1–5pm Tue–Fri, noon–5pm Sat, Sun (030) 32 09 14 46 Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte 9am–5pm Tue–Fri, 10am–5pm Sat, Sun (030) 326 74 80