Ludwigslust Palace

Duke Friedrich moved his residence here in 1765 and had a whole town laid out around a new palace, finished in 1776, on a scale that earned it the name little Versailles. Money was short, so the decorative work was carried out in Ludwigsluster Carton, a papier-mâché of pressed paper made locally, moulded and painted to imitate carved wood, stucco and stone; a factory in the town produced it and it fills the state rooms, including large picture frames, vases and reliefs. The park of about a hundred and twenty hectares was laid out by Peter Joseph Lenné with canals, cascades and follies.

History

Ludwigslust began as a simple hunting lodge a day's ride, 36 km, from the ducal capital of Schwerin: in 1724 Prince Christian Ludwig, heir to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, built it near a hamlet called Klenow, and even after he became duke in 1747 he spent most of his time here, calling it Ludwigslust, "Ludwig's joy". It was later rebuilt as a retreat from Schwerin and from 1765 to 1837 was the centre of government (Wikipedia, Ludwigslust Palace).

What you'll find

• The papier-mâché decoration - moulded paper imitating stucco and carving.
• The Golden Hall - the main state room with a two-storey order.
• The Lenné park - 120 hectares of canals, cascades and garden buildings.
• The planned town - a settlement laid out around the palace.

When to go

April to October; the palace closes Mondays and reduces winter hours. The park is free and open year-round. The cascade runs seasonally.

Practical notes

Only part of the palace is open, with restoration continuing. It closes Mondays. The town around is small.

Nearby

Schwerin lies north; Hamburg is west.

Key facts