The Princely Park’s twelve-hectare (about thirty acres) layout remains essentially unchanged since at least 1750. Originally, the park’s steep slopes, moats and fields provided the castle with protection and food. It was only during its Baroque heyday that the park finally came into being as a place of relaxation and pleasure.Â
Beside the castle, in the Upper Park, is a semi-formal garden area, anchored by the Orangerie and its accompanying allegorical sandstone statues, all from 1752. Below the castle lies the Lower Park, where the steep slopes of its narrow valley offer shelter to our collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. Â
The Princely Park’s twelve-hectare (about thirty acres) layout remains essentially unchanged since at least 1750. Originally, the park’s steep slopes, moats and fields provided the castle with protection and food. It was only during its Baroque heyday that the park finally came into being as a place of relaxation and pleasure.Â
Beside the castle, in the Upper Park, is a semi-formal garden area, anchored by the Orangerie and its accompanying allegorical sandstone statues, all from 1752. Below the castle lies the Lower Park, where the steep slopes of its narrow valley offer shelter to our collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. Â
This year has seen us kick off with an exciting ten-year restoration and renovation project of the park. This project will eventually see some aspects of the park restored to their former eighteenth-century splendour – whilst other areas will be given a few new twists inspired by some of our favourite gardens in the world.Â
An important (and fun!) aspect of our park’s renovation are the multiple new planting schemes we have planned for the coming years. These will encompass everything from new varieties of spring bulbs to unique specimen trees, along with an array of ornamental shrubs that will be new to the park. Along with seeking to diversify the tree and shrub species we have growing in our park, our intention is to also extend our blooming season across all of spring, summer, and fall, giving us and our visitors something more to look forward to with every season.
This year has seen us kick off with an exciting ten-year restoration and renovation project of the park. This project will eventually see some aspects of the park restored to their former eighteenth-century splendour – whilst other areas will be given a few new twists inspired by some of our favourite gardens in the world.Â
An important (and fun!) aspect of our park’s renovation are the multiple new planting schemes we have planned for the coming years. These will encompass everything from new varieties of spring bulbs to unique specimen trees, along with an array of ornamental shrubs that will be new to the park. Along with seeking to diversify the tree and shrub species we have growing in our park, our intention is to also extend our blooming season across all of spring, summer, and fall, giving us and our visitors something more to look forward to with every season.
One focus of our ten-year renovation project is the rejuvenation of the rhododendron and azalea plantings that Prince Richard, Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, began during his lifetime. Inspired by the English park of the Swedish royal family in Sofiero, the former summer palace, Prince Richard decided to bring something comparable to life in his own park.Â
Knowing that rhododendrons and azaleas would be well-suited to our acidic soil and humid, rainy weather, he began planting them. At the same time, he created three of the four large ponds in the park, thus changing what was essentially a family shooting park, into an English-style landscaped park. Prince Richard’s reshaping of the park was its most dramatic stylistic transformation of the last two hundred years.Â
Today we have hundreds of specimens of azaleas and rhododendrons, in every colour of the rainbow, and a unique habitat created by the ponds Prince Richard built – all of which we are keen to nurture and highlight as we restore and expand upon his core ideas and plantings.
One focus of our ten-year renovation project is the rejuvenation of the rhododendron and azalea plantings that Prince Richard, Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, began during his lifetime. Inspired by the English park of the Swedish royal family in Sofiero, the former summer palace, Prince Richard decided to bring something comparable to life in his own park.Â
Knowing that rhododendrons and azaleas would be well-suited to our acidic soil and humid, rainy weather, he began planting them. At the same time, he created three of the four large ponds in the park, thus changing what was essentially a family shooting park, into an English-style landscaped park. Prince Richard’s reshaping of the park was its most dramatic stylistic transformation of the last two hundred years.Â
Today we have hundreds of specimens of azaleas and rhododendrons, in every colour of the rainbow, and a unique habitat created by the ponds Prince Richard built – all of which we are keen to nurture and highlight as we restore and expand upon his core ideas and plantings.
Our Park is open from Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to sundown and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to sundown.  Â
We currently keep our Park open to visitors, free of charge. Â
Please note that although we welcome visitors to our Park free of charge, it is private property.  We therefore ask all of our visitors to please respect our park rules listed below.  
The Princely Park and Castle Courtyard are private property and access is only for visitors to the park and castle. Any form of publicity photography (photographs for publicity on social media included) or wedding photography is not allowed without prior written agreement from the Rentkammer. For more information click here.
Dogs are welcome in the castle park and the castle courtyard but must be on a lead at all times. Â
We ask dog owners to please clean up after their dogs. Doggy bags are available at various points throughout the park. Please dispose of them in the bins. Thank you!
The Princely Park is privately owned. Therefore, we may shut it at any time, without advance warning.
To avoid disappointment, before visiting we advise you to please check our website for opening times and dates.
Our Park is open from Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to sundown and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to sundown.  Â
We currently keep our Park open to visitors, free of charge. Â
Please note that although we welcome visitors to our Park free of charge, it is private property.  We therefore ask all of our visitors to please respect our park rules listed below.  
The Princely Park and Castle Courtyard are private property and access is only for visitors to the park and castle. Any form of publicity photography (photographs for publicity on social media included) or wedding photography is not allowed without prior written agreement from the Rentkammer. For more information click here.
Dogs are welcome in the castle park and the castle courtyard but must be on a lead at all times. Â
We ask dog owners to please clean up after their dogs. Doggy bags are available at various points throughout the park. Please dispose of them in the bins. Thank you!
The Princely Park is privately owned. Therefore, we may shut it at any time, without advance warning.
To avoid disappointment, before visiting we advise you to please check our website for opening times and dates.
