Bad Freienwalde Castle Park

High up on the Apothekerberg on the north-eastern Barnim slope next to the old town of Bad Freienwalde, this beautiful palace garden was created in 1792 for the wife of the Prussian King Frederick William II, Friederike Luise of Prussia. Thanks to its mountain location, you can still enjoy an undisturbed view of the Niederoderbruch, the Berlin Valley or the town center of Bad Freienwalde with its St. Nicholas Church.

Friederike Luise of Prussia had the complex continually expanded and extended in the romantic and sentimental style of the time. Widely branching paths, various ruins, grottos, hermitages and straw huts make up the charm of the twelve-hectare landscape park. In 1798/99, the famous architect and master builder David Gilly built Bad Freienwalde Castle for the queen, which served as her summer widow's residence and became known as the first Prussian royal villa building.

The ensemble also includes the theatre pavilion and the old castellan's house. After her death in 1805, the park fell into a deep sleep and was revived in 1822 by gardeners under the supervision of the Royal Horticultural Director and transformed into an English landscape garden. After a varied use and temporary neglect of the park at the end of the 19th century, the Berlin industrialist and politician Walter Rathenau finally discovered the refuge in 1909 and bought it from the crown for 262.500 Reichsmarks in order to preserve the park in the tradition of early classicism and make it accessible to the public.

Four baroque sculptures, the Ildefonso group, the birdbath, Count Pückler's grave and the restored fountain are now part of the extensive park. Winding paths wind through the adjacent forest area and invite you to walk and relax. When the snowdrops have faded, the violet-blue carpet of bluebells appears in the palace gardens. The coloring of the maple trees in autumn is also particularly impressive.

Today, the castle houses an exhibition on the history of the house and the life and work of Walter Rathenau.

​Year of construction: 1792
Directions: Car: B158; Train: RE3 or RB24 to Eberswalde, then RB60 to Bad Freienwalde