Gondeln, Wörlitzer Park

Ⓒ Europaradweg R1_D3, Thomas Koy

Chinesisches Haus im Schlosspark Oranienbaum

Ⓒ Uwe Weigel

Pagode im Park Oranienbaum

Ⓒ Uwe Weigel

Garden Kingdom Tour: Prince Franz

Prince Leopold III Franz of Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817), creator of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom and namesake of this tour, imprinted his ideas on the landscapes visible along this route. The cycling route (approx. 68 km) traverses the marvelous Elbe meadows and the Biosphere Reserve Middle Elbe, connecting a variety of sights with the castles and parks of the UNESO World Heritage Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom.

This round trip leads from Großkühnau (Dessau) through the Kühnau park with its vineyard castle to Georgium Castle, over the Mulde hunting bridge and onwards through the Sieglitz park. The tour continues through the Elbe meadows to the parks of Wörlitz, via Oranienbaum to the beaver release area and the Auenhaus information center to Mildensee. From there, the tour continues through the Mulde meadows and Mosigkau Heath to Mosigkau Castle.

Sights along the Garden Kingdom tour „Prince Franz“

Schloss Mosigkau

Mosigkau Castle and Park

Today, the Mosigkau castle complex is one of the last largely preserved rococo ensembles in Central Germany.

Schloss Großkühnau

Großkühnau Castle and Park

The park of Großkühnau is the youngest complex of the Garden Kingdom Dessau-Wörlitz. Today, the castle is the seat of the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation.

Schloss Georgium

Georgium Castle and Park

The 20-hectares of „George’s garden“ (the Georgengarten surrounding the castle Georgium) are a remarkable example of the ideas of Enlightenment.

Kornhaus Dessau

Kornhaus Dessau

Built on the banks of the Elbe River, this historic restaurant occupies one of the most beautiful spots in Dessau-Roßlau.

Schloss Luisium

Luisium Palace and Park

Between 1774 and 1778, Prince Franz von Anhalt-Dessau had the small Luisium country house built for his wife Louise as a private residence.

Solitude im Waldpark Sieglitzer Berg

Forest park Sieglitzer Berg

Prince Franz of Anhalt-Dessau had a forest park with a small classicist castle laid out to the west of Vockerode in the years following 1777.

Gondelfahrt auf dem Wörlitzer See

Wörlitz Castle and Landscape Park

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

Gotisches Haus

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.

Schloss Oranienbaum

Oranienbaum Castle and Park

Discover a piece of Holland in this castle and park complex, built as an ensemble in the Dutch Baroque style.

das Chinesische Haus im Park Oranienbaum

Ⓒ Kulturstiftung Dessau-Wörlitz, Heinz Fräßdorf

Chinese house

The Chinese House, along with the pagoda and several arched bridges in the Baroque Island Garden, is part of the only 18th-century English-Chinese garden still complete.

Insel Stein Wörlitz

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.

Ampelhaus Oranienbaum

AMPELHAUS® Oranienbaum

The Art and Culture Courtyard in the center of Oranienbaum is an intergenerational, international meeting place and an event venue.

Auenhaus - Informationszentrum

Ⓒ Mirko Pannach

Information center „Auenhaus”

The Information Center „ Auenhaus" in the Central Elbe Biosphere Reserve supplies detailed information about the special features of this large protected area.

Bauhausgebäude Dessau

Bauhaus Dessau

The Bauhaus was the most important school of art, design and architecture of the 20th century.

Bauhaus Dessau Hinteransicht

Bauhaus buildings Dessau

´From the Kornhaus restaurant in the north to the Bauhaus building and the masters’ houses to the Dessau-Törten estate in the south, Dessau has more original Bauhaus buildings than any other city. The most important ones are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Bauhaussiedlung Dessau-Törten

Ⓒ Christoph Petras

Bauhaus housing estate Dessau-Törten

The experimental settlement Törten represents an outstanding example of the New Building („Neues Bauen“) of the 1920s.

Laubenganghäuser Dessau

Laubenganghäuser (Housing Estate with balcony access) Dessau

The Laubenganghäuser, or „Housing Estate with balcony access,“ served as “people’s housing” for poorer workers and employees.