Bad Freienwalde Palace Park

High up on the Apothekerberg on the north-eastern Barnimhang next to the old town of Bad Freienwalde, this beautiful palace garden was laid out in 1792 for the wife of the Prussian King Frederick William II, Friederike Luise of Prussia. Due to its elevated position you can still enjoy an undisturbed view of the Niederoderbruch, the Berliner Tal (valley) and the town centre of Bad Freienwalde with St. Nicholas’ Church.

Friederike Luise of Prussia had the complex repeatedly extended and expanded according to the romantic and sentimental taste of the time. Branching paths, various ruins, grottos, hermitages and straw huts account for much of the charm of this twelve-hectare landscape park. In 1798/99, famous architect and master builder David Gilly built the Bad Freienwalde Palace for the queen: it served her as a summer widow’s residence and gained fame as the first royal Prussian villa. The ensemble also includes the theatre pavilion and the old Kastellanshaus. After her death in 1805, the park fell into a deep slumber and was reawakened in 1822 by gardeners under the supervision of the Royal Horticultural Cirector, who redesigned it to create an English landscape garden.

The park underwent varying phases of treatment including temporary neglect at the end of the 19th century until Berlin industrialist and politician Walter Rathenau finally discovered the refuge in 1909: he purchased it from the crown for 262,500 Reichsmark so as to preserve it in the tradition of early classicism and make it accessible to the public.

Today, the extensive grounds include four Baroque sculptures, the Ildefonso group, a bird bath, the grave of Count Pückler and a restored fountain. In the forest area there are winding paths where you can wander and relax. When the snowdrops have faded, a violet-blue carpet of bluebells appears in the palace garden. The colouring of the maple trees in autumn is particularly impressive.

Today the palace houses an exhibition on the history of the building and on the life and work of Walter Rathenau.

Year of construction: 1792
How to get there: Car: B158; train: RE3 or RB24 to Eberswalde, then RB60 to Bad Freienwalde