Rheinsberg Palace
The lakeside palace where Frederick the Great spent what he later called the happiest years of his life.
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Frederick, then crown prince, lived at Rheinsberg from 1736 to 1740 before becoming king, remodelling the house with Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff and spending his time on music, reading and correspondence with Voltaire; he wrote later that these were his happiest years. He gave the palace to his brother Heinrich, who lived there for over fifty years and laid out the park and a small theatre. Kurt Tucholsky's 1912 story Rheinsberg made the town a destination for young couples and a museum in the palace covers him. The palace stands directly on the Grienericksee with a landscape park behind.
What you actually see
- The lakeside setting - a palace built to the water's edge with a park behind.
- The Knobelsdorff rooms - rococo interiors from Frederick's remodelling.
- The Tucholsky museum - the writer whose story drew visitors to the town.
- The park - an eighteenth-century landscape with an obelisk and theatre.
When to go
April to October; the palace closes Mondays and reduces to weekends in winter. Chamber music festivals use the theatre and park in summer.
Honest expectations
Winter opening is minimal. The town is small with limited services. Boat trips on the lake are seasonal.
Nearby
The Ruppin lakes surround it; Berlin lies southeast.
What to pack for Rheinsberg Palace
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
