Pillnitz Palace, Dresden, Saxony, Germany

Pillnitz Palace (Schloss Pillnitz) is the enchanting former summer residence of the Saxon court, set on the banks of the Elbe amid vineyards on the eastern edge of Dresden. It owes its distinctive look to Augustus the Strong, who from the 1720s had his architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann transform it into one of the finest examples of chinoiserie in Europe — a fantasy of Baroque palaces given sweeping, pagoda-like roofs and painted with oriental scenes, reflecting the fashionable 18th-century enthusiasm for all things East Asian. For two centuries the electors and kings of Saxony spent their summers here, arriving in state by boat along the river, and today the palace and its beautiful gardens make one of the loveliest excursions from the city.

What to See

The palace is made up of three parts arranged around a garden courtyard: the riverside Water Palace (Wasserpalais), with its grand open staircase leading down to a landing on the Elbe; the matching Hillside Palace (Bergpalais) opposite; and, joining them, the Neoclassical New Palace, built in the 19th century after a fire and now home to the Museum of Decorative Arts. Together they hold richly furnished historic rooms, a palace chapel and collections of furniture, porcelain and craftwork. The gardens are just as much the attraction, laid out in English, Dutch and Chinese styles and dotted with pavilions, a maze and a great domed Palm House. Their most famous inhabitant is the Pillnitz Camellia, a Japanese shrub some 250 years old and around nine metres tall, sheltered each winter beneath a purpose-built mobile glasshouse and covered in thousands of red blooms when it flowers in spring.

How to Get There and Practical Information

Pillnitz lies on the right bank of the Elbe in the south-east of Dresden, about 15 kilometres upstream of the city centre. It is a delightful place to reach by water: in the season the historic paddle-steamers of the Saxon fleet sail up from central Dresden, and there is also a small passenger ferry across the river, while city buses run out to Pillnitz year-round. Drivers will find car parks nearby. The palace park is ticketed during the main season from spring to autumn and free to enter in winter, while the palace museums and the Palm House charge their own admission; opening times are seasonal, so it is worth checking before setting out. Allow at least half a day to enjoy the palace and gardens, ideally arriving or leaving by steamer for the full effect.