A Garden Kingdom in Wörlitz?

When we think of cultural and natural heritage, Germany punches above its weight. With fifty-five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Germany has more sites than cultural heavyweights like Japan, Spain, France, or India. It speaks not only to the country’s cultural prowess but also to the policy priority for appropriate heritage management. During our road trip through the Luther Land, I was genuinely shocked by the density of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Inevitably, many sites go unnoticed, particularly among foreign travelers. One such example is the curiously named Garden Kingdoms of Dessau-Wörlitz in Saxony-Anhalt. It is far off the beaten track among foreign visitors, but it was too tempting for a world heritage site collector like myself.

The Garden Kingdoms of Wörlitz is an hidden gem of Saxon-Anhalt.

Situated midway between Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Dessau, Wörlitz seemed like a perfect stop between the world of Martin Luther and the Bauhaus. From Wittenberg, it was only a forty-minute drive through the countryside to Wörlitz. Even though it was a Saturday and the weather was gorgeous, the town was eerily quiet; there seemed to be more restaurants than visitors. Part of me wondered whether this was the wrong season or day for a visit. Since this was somewhat of an impromptu visit, I didn't do much research about the garden’s history and main attractions. All I knew was that the garden’s vast expanse could warrant spending a few days.

Wörlitz is a sleepy village of just fifteen hundred residents.

Fortunately, a handy visitor center is conveniently located near the parking lots in the town center. The park itself is openly accessible and requires no admission fee or reservation. It was great, but a little unnerving that we were able to roam the ground freely. Visitors only need tickets if they plan to visit the interior of the various pavilions and small museums scattered across the garden. Given the size of the gardens and our limited time, we decided to save money and explore as much of the grounds as possible. The friendly girl at the visitor’s center gave us her personal recommendation on the highlights of Wörlitz.

The Princess's House was the residence of Princess Louise, the wife of Prince Leopold.

So what made the Wörlitz so special? The gardens here are attributed to Leopold III Friedrich Franz, the 18th-century Prince and Duke of Anhalt-Dessau. The Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau was a minor principality; it may have relieved young Leopold from grand military and political ambitions. When he turned eighteen, he embarked on a grand tour of Europe with an architect friend, Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff. On this trip, he was exposed to the Enlightenment ideas. Upon taking the reins, he instituted wide-ranging economic and social reforms, transforming this tiny duchy into one of the most modern and progressive realms in the German-speaking world.

During his travels, Leopold took a particular interest in the ancient architecture of Italy and the English landscape gardens. Contrary to the formal Baroque gardens that were in vogue, the English gardens emphasized naturalism and romanticism. The gardens at Wörlitz were said to be the first major English-style garden on the European continent. This new form of garden is a newfound expression of the Enlightenment, combining the useful and the beautiful. During his six-decade reign, he constructed numerous gardens and palaces; however, it is his creation at Wörlitz that epitomizes his passions and endeavors.

The marriage between the functional and the artistic is an ideal championed by the Enlightenment.

This marriage between the beauty and usefulness is key to appreciating Wörlitz. The garden we see today was actually created as part of the flood prevention system, which included dikes and guard houses along the canals. The expertise in floor management was introduced here by Leopold’s grandfather, who invited a team of engineers from the Netherlands in 1659 to establish a settlement in nearby Oranienbaum. Among the engineering techniques are the planting of trees to reclaim land from the waterways and to divert floating ice. However, casual visitors probably would recognize the functional utility underlying these gardens.

Wörlitz Palace is supposedly the first neoclassical building in Germany.

The center of this garden complex is probably the Wörlitz Palace. Designed by Erdmannsdorff, it is supposedly the first neoclassical building in Germany, an extraordinary claim if true. From the get-go, this personal residence of the prince was open to the public. Leopold was keen to showcase his progressive and enlightened ideas. The building was allegedly modeled after the aristocratic homes he visited in England. Today, the palace houses the vast collections Leopold amassed during his decades of travel, including fine silks, French crystals, and English ceramics. The palace also featured some of the most innovative features at the time, such as folding beds and dumbwaiters. Perhaps this is Germany’s Monticello.

Prince Leopold commissioned the Wörlitz Synagogue as a gesture of religious tolerance.

As a progressive prince, Leopold was also committed to religious tolerance. In the vicinity of the palace, he constructed Wörlitz Synagogue and a Catholic church. The round-shaped synagogue was supposedly modeled after the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli and Rome. It served Wörlitz’s tiny Jewish community, but was deconsecrated in 1910 due to the congregation's decline. It was subsequently renamed Temple of Vesta and even made a national cultural monument during the Nazi era. However, it did not prevent attempted arson during the Night of the Broken Glass in 1938.

At the backside of the synagogue was the starting point of our stroll. To preserve the natural ambiance of this English-style landscape garden, a series of ferries crisscross the waterways. These ferries were manually operated with hand cranks and moved silently across the water. Each crossing costs €1 per ride or €1 for the daily ticket. It does not operate on a fixed schedule during operating hours. This decidedly low-tech mode of transport was oddly charming and quintessential at the Garden Kingdom.

Wörlitz’s artificial volcano was quirky but historically significant.

From the ferry, we got my first glimpse of the most unique landmark at the Garden Kingdom: Wörlitz’s artificial volcano. Commissioned by Leopold more than two decades after he visited Naples. The volcano is situated on an artificial island called Stein and was directly inspired by Mount Vesuvius. The designer put great care into mimicking the textures of Versuvius’s tuff stones; there is also a Roman-style theater located at the base of the volcano. Attached to the island is Villa Hamilton, a miniature of the Italian summer residence belonging to the British diplomat and vulcanologist William Hamilton. Leopold constructed a personal volcano not only to commemorate his travel, but also to showcase the spirit of scientific discovery to his subjects.

After two centuries of neglect, the volcano underwent a five-year restoration project. With the assistance of a chemistry professor from Brandenburg Technical University, the volcanic eruption was revived in 2004. For a few nights each year, the artificial volcano came to life for special events. They are the most celebrated events in Wörlitz, but the event was not well-publicized on its official website. It was not until after our trip that I finally found the event information, which was on the 15th and 16th of August this year. We happened to miss it by two weeks. According to the FAQ page in German, the eruption events are specially ticketed and are also billed as culinary events.

After getting off the ferry, we had options to explore various parts of the gardens through an intersecting maze of trails. Multiple viewpoints and architectural follies emerge throughout the stroll, tempting us to detour from the recommended routes provided at the visitor center. While ferries crisscross the main waterways, there are nineteen bridges spanning over smaller water channels. Each bridge is unique in its profile and construction. Even though the natural topography in this part of Germany is flat, the planners cleverly incorporated dikes in such a way that they create drama effortlessly. The residents of Wörlitz are fortunate to have this fantastic recreational park in their backyard.

The destination of our walk was the Venus Temple at the northwestern corner of the park. The small pavilion is a replica of an ancient ten-column Doric temple and houses a statue of the Venus of Medici. The staff told us this was her favorite spot in the park, which was a little puzzling at first. The real beauty of the temple lay in its subterranean chambers and grottos, which spanned a considerable area. It is not difficult to imagine that this was an excellent venue for masquerade parties or romantic rendezvous. This place is definitely a hit among young families and could be quite sketchy on a dreary day. It reminds me of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra or Sacro Bosco in Bomarzo.

The most exciting feature, however, was the steel chain suspension bridge, the Kettenbrücke. The way it rocked and the sounds it created were unlike any other bridge we ever crossed. According to the tiny sign by the bridge, occupancy is limited to just one person, but we conveniently overlooked it after crossing the bridge a few times. From the bridge, we got a glimpse of Hohe Brücke, which was intentionally designed as an architectural ruin. Of all nineteen bridges in the park, the most architecturally significant would be the Gusseiserne Brücke, which is modeled after the famous Coalbrookdale Iron Bridge in England, the world’s first metal bridge and a UNECO World Heritage Site in its own right.

Kettenbrücke was easily the most fun part of the garden.

During the GDR period, the Garden Kingdom of Wörlitz was nominally maintained. However, GDR historians began to recognize the symbolic values of these gardens. Ironically, the progressive philosophy of Prince Leopold was championed by the GDR as a rebuttal of the German-Prussian militarism. However, the lack of state funds also eventually led to the loss of several landmarks, including the Sieglitzer Berg and the Schwedenhaus. Thankfully, more public funding became available after the reunification. By 2012, much of the garden and most landmarks had been restored to their appearance around 1800. Today, the gardens are maintained by a state-funded private foundation and attract 2 million visitors annually.

The north facade of the Gothic House is done in the Italian Gothic style.

One of the most imposing buildings in the garden is the Gothic House. Built originally for Wörlitz’s chief gardener, the Neo-Gothic building was progressively renovated. Prince Leopold eventually took over the house for his private use. The north facade is done in High Italian Gothic style with delicate finials and trefoils. The opposite facade is done in an English Brick Gothic style modeled after Strawberry Hill House in London. The interiors are decorated in an elaborate Gothic style, featuring numerous medieval stained glass windows and artworks, including several pieces by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Hendrick Avercamp. Even though we did not get to visit the interiors, we had a great time observing herds of free-roaming peacocks on the lawns out front.

The Nymphaeum was easily my favorite spot in Wörlitz.

The bucolic landscape of Wörlitz makes it a popular spot for wedding and engagement photos. We came across quite a few happy couples during our visit. A short walk away from the Gothic House brought us back to the main waterway and the Nymphaeum. As the name suggests, the small Doric columned pavilion is dedicated to the nymph, the Greek personification of Nature. Embedded into the landscape, this was easily my favorite spot in the whole garden. It was a great spot to survey Wörlitz Palace and the Versuvius. More importantly, this is a perfect spot to watch the parade of gondolas.

The gondola rides are the most quintessential way to experience Wörlitz.

Since the time of Prince Leopold, the best way to experience the Garden Kingdoms is to hop on one of these gondolas for a leisurely cruise around the lake and various canals. For €12 per person, each hand-powered gondola could accommodate up to a dozen guests and is an intimate way to experience the romantic waterways. Like their counterparts in Venice, the gondoliers also double as tour guides. Sadly, we missed the last regularly scheduled departure of the day. That said, many Germans chartered their own private sailings. If you plan ahead, I recommend booking a two-hour evening gondola ride for €75 per person. The ride comes with white tablecloths, appetizers, and an Italian dinner.

Sadly, we missed the last regularly scheduled gondola for the day.

One potential pitfall of English garden design is that the landscape element may appear too naturalistic. It was too easy to miss out prominent monuments. One such example is Rousseau Island (Rousseau-Insel), a small artificial circular island ringed with tall poplar trees. As the name suggests, the island commemorates the life of French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose Enlightenment aesthetic ideas informed the garden design here. His advocacy for the “nobility of nature” believes humans are inherently peaceful and are destined to live in harmony with nature. The island is modeled after the original Rousseau Island in Paris, which René de Girardin created based on the ideal landscape described in Rousseau’s novel, Julie; or, The New Heloise.

Wörlitz was oddly empty on a beautiful August weekend.

The route recommended to us covered only roughly half of the gardens in Wörlitz. It took us about two and a half hours at a leisurely pace, with a stop at a local beer garden inside the park. With more time, I would love to spend a few more hours exploring the rest of the park, including a closer look at the mini-Vesuvius. The other landmarks I wish I had time to visit were the miniature replica of Coalbrookdale Bridge and the Pantheon. Lovers of architecture and art history could easily spend a whole day here.

A more intimate way to experience the gardens at Wörlitz is to stay in one of the few historic watch houses that have been converted into overnight accommodations, such as the Red Wall Watch House (Rotes Wallwachhaus) and the Piedmontese Farmhouse (Piemonteser Bauernhaus). Staying at a private UNESCO accommodation is undoubtedly a unique and unforgettable experience. Although these properties were operated by one of the best local hotels, the booking process by email inquiry was not particularly user-friendly.

Although the garden at Wörlitz is considered the crème de la crème, the UNESCO inscription includes additional gardens in the neighboring villages, such as Mosigkau, Luisium, and Georgium. The most notable among them would be Oranienbaum, which Leopold’s grandfather established with the help of Dutch engineers, and it was dubbed the Little Netherlands of Germany. Garden lovers could easily spend a few days exploring all the gardens. For anyone using Dessau as a home base, the historical railway running between Dessau and Wörlitz is an excellent way to explore the Garden Kingdoms.

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