Schloss Genshagen castle with landscape park

This castle in the Ludwigsfeld town district of Genshagen was built in its present form between 1878 and 1880. It served as the residence of the Von Eberstein baronial family, and was likely constructed on the foundations of an older manor house from around the year 1700. A distillery was opened on the estate in 1839, first producing methylated spirit from potatoes, though the distillery later acquired a licence to distil and process liquors.
In the second half of the 19th century, a landscape park of about 7.5 hectares was created according to the English model. There was a ditch-like water course as well as artificially built hills. After the reconstruction of the building in the 1910s, the garden was also changed and it is said that Sophie Freifrau von Eberstein had an extensive collection of woody plants planted. In 1993, work began on redesigning the grounds, following historical models in the area near the palace and adding modern elements as the park progressed. The grounds are freely accessible to visitors and are a worthwhile destination for excursions in all seasons.
The castle itself hosts the Genshagen Foundation, which works towards international collaboration around Europe and the promotion of European art and culture, including a special focus on maintenance German-French and German-Polish relations. Nowadays, the castle also hosts office spaces and event rooms. It can be visited as part of public events or on occasions like Heritage Day.