Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg)
Spandauer Damm 10-22, Berlin, DEU
Built in the 17th century as a royal summer residence, Berlin’s Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg) combines rococo and baroque decor and architecture, as well as a formal garden modeled after the Gardens of Versailles. Other highlights include a belvedere building showcasing German porcelain, a theater, a mausoleum of royal marble tombs, and regular evening concerts.
Visit the palace on a guided tour, independently with an all-encompassing admission ticket, or choose the specific areas you want to see. The palace interior is incredibly opulent, from the Oak Gallery in the Old Palace to the royal apartments of Queen Louise, who is interred in the neoclassical mausoleum.
The New Wing plays host to the Golden Gallery and Silver Vault’s tableware collection, while the palace park has tree-lined gardens and a tea house. Most Berlin city tours also pass by the palace from afar, and regular concerts are held at the Grosse Orangery—book VIP tickets or a 3-course dinner for a truly luxurious experience.
Allot two to three hours to explore the palace’s main attractions.
The site’s restored Orangery now operates as the Palace Garden Café.
Much of the palace grounds are accessible for wheelchair users.
Admission to the New Wing includes an audio guide, but the gardens are free to enter year-round.
Concerts at the Orangery typically sell out weeks in advance; book well in advance to secure your tickets.
Charlottenburg Palace is in inner-city west Berlin. From Alexanderplatz, take the S5 or S7 on the S-Bahn rail system to Zoologischer Garten, then switch to the U12 and get off at Sophie-Charlotte-Platz. From there, it's a 15-minute walk to the palace.
The palace is typically open 10am to 5pm November through March and until 6pm April through October; it's closed on Mondays. During the holidays, the palace houses a Christmas market with stalls offering arts, crafts, and traditional sweets. Winter also brings special holiday concerts for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. The outdoor gardens make an excellent place to stroll and picnic during summer.
Charlottenburg Palace is one of Berlin's top historic sites, but there are plenty more where that came from. In the center of the German capital, don't miss the ornate carvings of the Brandenburg Gate; the reconstructed Reichstag with its glass dome; or the Berlin Cathedral, a turn-of-the-century example of Renaissance and baroque revival.
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