Wörlitz

The “Venice of Anhalt”

The charming little town of Wörlitz, only about 10 km bee-line from Wittenberg in the Biosphere Reserve Middle Elbe, looks back on over 1000 years of history.

Wörlitz rose to fame in the second half of the 18th century through one of the earliest and most beautiful English landscape parks in continental Europe. Today, the heart of the UNESCO-protected Garden Kingdom Dessau-Wörlitz beats just outside the city.

"Wörlitz is not merely of local or German importance, it is of European gravity, a global matter,” wrote Wilhelm van Kempen in the early 20th century.

Wörlitz, now a part of the town of Oranienbaum-Wörlitz, was once called the “Venice of Anhalt” and attracted travelers in search of recreation, stimulation and knowledge in the 18th and 19th centuries. The city was first documented in the early Middle Ages (1004), some elements of today’s church of St. Petri still recall that time. Then, an unusually large church, given the size of the settlement, rose here in the Romanesque style. As a hunting ground, the floodplain had great importance for the nobles of Dessau, explaining why a hunting lodge originally occupied the site of today’s Wörlitz Castle. Some half-timbered houses from the first half of the 18th century are still in existence (Kirchgasse, Förstergasse, Erdmannsdorffstraße). Even today, Wörlitz offers everything needed for a relaxing and stimulating stay.

Holders of the » WelterbeCard receive the following service from the Garden Kingdom Information:

Free public tour of the Wörlitz parks

April 1 to October 31, daily 13:00, duration: 2 hours. Meeting point: in front of Wörlitz Palace. Validation required before the tour at the Garden Kingdom Information, not for groups.

Opening hours
Garden Kingdom Information:
April - October
Daily 10:00-16:00
May - September
Daily 10:00-18:00
November - March
Mon - Fri 10:00-16:00

Getting there by bike
R1 European Cycle Route
Elbe Cycle Route
Orange Route
Berlin-Leipzig Cycle Route
Garden Kingdom Tour Fürst-Franz
Luther Trail

Getting there by public transport
Leipzig-Magdeburg, Dessau train station - bus line 304 - direction Wörlitz
Halle-Berlin, train station Gräfenhainichen - bus line 307 - direction Wörlitz

Getting there by car
A9 Berlin-Munich - exit Dessau-East
B107

Sights

in Wörlitz

Wörlitz Castle and Landscape Park

Leopold III Friedrich Franz von Anhalt-Dessau built the first English landscape park on the European continent.

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Island “Stein” with Villa Hamilton

Boasting the only artificial volcano in Europe, the island “Stein” in the eastern part of Lake Wörlitz is one of the most spectacular monuments in the UNESCO World Heritage Garden Kingdom Dessau-Wörlitz.

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Historical inn “Zum Eichenkranz”

The fame of the English garden at Wörlitz attracted increasingly more visitors, and in the mid-1780s, nobles, scholars and artists flocked to the small principality of Anhalt-Dessau.

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Gothic House

The Gothic House is one of the earliest and best preserved neo-Gothic buildings on the European continent. Construction began in 1773, with several extensions added until 1813.

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St. Petri Kirche mit Bibelturm

Das höchste Bauwerk in Wörlitz ist der Turm der Kirche St. Petri, die sich an der Grenze zwischen Stadt und Park unweit des Schlosses befindet.

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Highlights & Recommendations

Ascending the Bible Tower Wörlitz

...A little closer to heaven

The Bible Tower is the 66-meter-steeple of St. Peter’s in Wörlitz. Anyone who lets their gaze wander from up there over the Garden Kingdom Dessau-Wörlitz to Wittenberg, Dessau or Petersberg will feel a little closer to heaven.

Yet, visitors can also get closer to heaven in the tower itself: The exhibition “Between Heaven and Earth” (Zwischen Himmel und Erde, opened in 2009) offers religious, scientific and philosophical perspectives on the heavens (the biblical heaven gets a mention or two, also). In the special atmosphere of the Bible Tower, you can physically experience a state of suspension between heaven and earth.

Prices
Standard: € 2 p.p., other prices on request.
Holders of the World HeritageCard enter the Bible Tower for free.

Further information
Guided tours of St. Peter’s and the Bible Tower are on offer regularly.
Duration: about one hour.
Groups need to register for tours.
Services at St. Peter’s: Sunday 10:30
Tel. 0340 21677214
landeskirchenamt@kircheanhalt.de
www.landeskirche-anhalts.de

Visit the Forsthaus Wörlitz falconry

Flight shows with 16 different bird species

From April to October, flight shows with birds of prey and owls take place every day, except Mondays, at 15:00.

Our shows comprise unique performances by owls, the silent hunters of the night; our funny vultures Max and Moritz; steppe eagle Olga; and the fastest animals alive, our falcons, flying over our visitor’s heads at speeds of over 200 km/h

The falconry is inside the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Middle Elbe.

Prices
Adults: € 6

Children; € 3

For holders of the World HeritageCard, admission to the flight shows is free.

Further information
Falknerei Wörlitzer Park
Coswiger Straße 2
06785 Oranienbaum-Wörlitz, OT Wörlitz
Tel. 0177 6202140
info@falknerei-woerlitzer-park.de
www.falknerei-woerlitzer-park.de

Guided tour: Wörlitz Landscape Park

A synthesis of art in the Garden Kingdom Dessau-Wörlitz

Visitors get an overview and learn intriguing facts about the origin of the Wörlitz parks.

From the very beginning, the parks were open to the public. Their 112.5 hectares of landscaped area flow into the surrounding floodplains and farmlands. Here, nature and art come together in the best possible way. Starting at the time of their creation, the Wörlitz Gardens were an international attraction, as they are still today.
Five garden sections spread around the four-armed Lake Wörlitz: the castle garden (Schlossgarten), Neumark’s Garden, Schoch’s Garden, Weidenheger and the New Enclosures (Neuen Anlagen). Although separated by lakes and canals, the various sections are united by ferries, bridges, paths and visual connections. Discovering this synthesis of art takes time, but visitors can get an excellent overview during one of our guided tours.

Prices
Adults: € 8 p.p., children: € 3 p.p.
Holders of the World HeritageCard can take the tour for free.

Further information
Gartenreich-Information
im Küchengebäude am Schloss Wörlitz
06785 Oranienbaum Wörlitz, OT Wörlitz
Tel. 034905 31009
info@welterbe-gartenreich.de
www.woerlitz-oranienbaum.de