Rastatt Palace

Rastatt, Germany

Schloss Rastatt is a baroque palace built between 1700 and 1707 by the Italian architect Domenico Egidio Rossi. The palace and garden were built to Margrave Louis William of Baden. During the Palatine war of succession the residence of Margrave Louis William of Baden-Baden had been burnt by French troops. A rebuild of the destroyed castle would not have suited the representative needs of the court of Baden-Baden. Since he also needed a home for his wife Sibylle Auguste of Saxe-Lauenburg, whom he had married in 1690, he had a new residence built in place of the former hunting lodge.

During this operation the 1697 hunting lodge was demolished to leave space for the new castle. The village of Rastatt was promoted to city status in 1700 and the Margrave moved here with his court. The residence in Rastatt is the oldest Baroque residence in the German Upper-Rhine area. It was built according to the example of the French Palace of Versailles. During the 19th century the castle was used as headquarters.

Inside the palace a large staircase with stucco decorations give way to the Beletage. The biggest and most decorated hall is the Ahnensaal. It is decorated with numerous frescoes and shows paintings of ancestors and of captured Ottoman soldiers.

The castle was not damaged during World War II. Today the castle is home of two museums, the military history museum and memorial site for the German liberation movement.

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Address

Herrenstraße 18, Rastatt, Germany
See all sites in Rastatt

Details

Founded: 1700-1707
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Germany
Historical period: Thirty Years War & Rise of Prussia (Germany)

More Information

www.schloss-rastatt.de
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Kammerzell House (45,4 km)
Strasbourg Cathedral (45,4 km)
Ponts Couverts (46,2 km)
Palais Rohan (45,4 km)
Temple Neuf (45,4 km)
Barrage Vauban (46,3 km)
Speyer Cathedral (53,8 km)
St. Thomas Church (45,8 km)
Karlsruhe Palace (22,5 km)

User Reviews

Belle 0412 (21 months ago)
A palace that defines and gives meaning to its location perfectly. The pink tones paint the city around and give a scent of History to everything that’s surrounding. Inside there’s a military museum that I didn’t visit because honestly that’s not really my thing, I really prefer the sights, and also because it was already closed at that time. The only thing that disappoints me in the most palaces I visited in Baden Baden/Karlsruhe/Rastatt is that the inside was completely renovated and so, if you are someone who likes this characteristic then they’ll be your dream come true, but for me, who finds palaces a window to the past, it took so much away, that it saddens me. The palace fronts the street which has almost no traffic at all, and at the other side, its front garden which should be even prettier in summertime/ springtime than in winter, but I still found it awesome. When u climb up to the garden and u walk to your right u have right there a shopping center that is a perfect place to stop if you feel the cold tightening. I would definitely come back.
Lisa Kelly (21 months ago)
Very interesting tour. The staff here are very helpful and informative
Ciaran Brooks (2 years ago)
I only visited the gardens and saw the property from the outside but it looked well preserved.
Dipsha Bhattacharyya (2 years ago)
Wonderful example of early 18th century palace Architecture...a must visit....
Rosemarie Kobes (2 years ago)
Beautiful Barock Castle, excellent guide Very knowledgeable about the royal blood-line and history of the Castle.
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