Moritzburg Castle

Moritzburg Castle

A palace on an island

Near the city of Dresden, in the German state of Saxony, a beautiful baroque palace stands on a perfectly square island in the middle of its own lake: Moritzburg Castle. With a round tower at each of its four corners, its warm yellow walls reflected in the still water, and a long causeway leading to its doors, Moritzburg is one of the most elegant and harmonious castles in Germany.

A hunting palace of the Saxon court

The castle began in the 1500s as a hunting lodge for Duke Moritz of Saxony, who gave it his name. But its grand transformation came in the 1700s, in the age of Augustus the Strong, the famously extravagant Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. Augustus loved splendour, art and the hunt, and between about 1723 and 1733 he had Moritzburg rebuilt into the magnificent baroque palace we see today, on its island in the lake.

It was designed above all as a place for hunting parties and lavish court festivities, set in a great landscape of forests, lakes and ponds stocked with game.

Halls of the hunt

Inside, Moritzburg is famous for its hunting-themed halls, decorated with one of the world's most important collections of red deer antlers and trophies, some of extraordinary size. There are also fine rooms hung with leather wall coverings, baroque furniture and art, all reflecting the wealth and tastes of the Saxon court.

The palace and its grounds were designed for pleasure and display, a place where the ruler and his guests could hunt, feast and be entertained in baroque style.

The Cinderella castle

In modern times, Moritzburg gained new fame as a film location. Its fairytale setting on the lake made it the perfect backdrop for a much-loved film version of the Cinderella story (the Czech-German classic Three Wishes for Cinderella), which is shown every Christmas across Germany and Central Europe and adored by generations of families.

Because of this, Moritzburg is now often called the "Cinderella castle", and each winter it hosts a popular Cinderella-themed exhibition, delighting children and families.

Lakes, gardens and a little palace

The grounds of Moritzburg are as lovely as the palace, with lakes, woodland and baroque gardens. Nearby stands a charming smaller palace, the "Little Pheasant Castle", and a harbour with a miniature fleet, all part of the pleasure-grounds created by the Saxon court.

Visiting today

Visitors can cross the causeway to tour the palace's baroque halls, see the famous antler collection and, in winter, the Cinderella exhibition, then wander the lakeside grounds and gardens. The reflection of the yellow palace in its lake is one of the prettiest sights in Saxony. Elegant, harmonious and touched with fairytale magic, Moritzburg Castle is one of the most delightful castles in eastern Germany.