Guide to Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin: Sights, Events, and History

The fairytale Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin is one of the most popular sights of the city.

The former summer residence of the Hohenzollern, consisting of the palace garden, the Belvedere, the Mausoleum, and the New Pavilion, transports you into the world of the Prussian royal family.

It is no coincidence that the palace, named in honor of Queen Sophie Charlotte, is one of the highlights of any trip to Berlin.

In this guide, read everything you need to know before your visit. This includes visitor information, the history as well as the sights in Charlottenburg Palace and the palace garden.

Let's start!

Things to do at Charlottenburg Palace

Baroque, Rococo, Classicism - the palace complex of Prussian kings awaits you with no less than three architectural styles that reflect the taste of the respective eras in which the palace was inhabited. Charlottenburg Palace in the Berlin district of the same name is considered the most important palace complex in the German capital. Today is serves as a museum.

During your visit, you can walk in the footsteps of Prussian queens and kings while discovering the impressive exhibition and attractions:

1. The Old Palace

The central building of the palace complex is the Old Palace, which fascinates visitors from all over the world with its many magnificent rooms, halls, and corridors furnished true to the original. Walking through the rooms, you can see the changing tastes of the rulers and be captivated by the ornate decorations, and magnificent interior.

The famous bedroom of Frederick I in particular is one of the highlights, but the porcelain cabinet, the palace chapel, and the impressive art collection are well worth seeing too. Also, direct your gaze to the dome of the palace, where the goddess of fortune, Fortuna, is located, spinning on her own axis.

2. The New Wing

The New Wing was built at the behest of Frederick the Great as an extension of the palace around 1740. The architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff was commissioned to design a two-story building with tall columns and windows in the Rococo style.

Today, the New Wing houses numerous treasures, such as two magnificent ballrooms: the White Hall and the Golden Gallery. Equally interesting, however, are the living rooms, which today display an impressive art collection with masterpieces by Antoine Watteau.

The highlight of the New Wing, however, is the Silver Chamber, where the tables are set with royal cutlery and porcelain, just as they were in those days. You can admire more than 600 treasures here. In the vestibule, an exhibition of classicist-romantic sculptures gives an impression of the heyday of Berlin sculpture.

3. Events at Charlottenburg Palace

With its stately setting and impressive structures, the palace complex is an extremely popular venue for grandiose events. These include:

• Concerts in the Orangery: The Orangery in the palace garden is often transformed into a venue for festive concerts. You can listen to the Berlin Residence Orchestra, which performs classical pieces in splendid baroque costumes and wigs.
• Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace: If you're in Berlin at Christmas time, you can't miss Charlottenburg Palace. The Christmas market, which is set up in front of the palace every year, provides pure Christmas magic with its atmospheric ambience, delicious treats and handicrafts!
• Children's Birthday Party at Charlottenburg Palace: Little princesses and princes can celebrate a royal birthday at Charlottenburg Palace. Dressed up in festive costumes and hairstyles, the little ones can dance an 18th-century minuet in honor of the birthday boy or girl.

Things to do at Charlottenburg Palace Garden

In the 55-hectare Baroque palace garden, which was laid out according to the model of the Versailles Palace, parallel to the construction of Charlottenburg Palace, the Prussian aristocracy celebrated lavish parties.

The promenade along the Spree River is very popular. The lawns invite you to sunbathe and picnic, and children can romp in the playground. The long garden terrace is still home to orange, lemon, and bitter orange, while the sweeping broderies of boxwood and white, black and red gravel give the large lawns an artistic pattern and are unique in Berlin.

Over time, the large complex transformed more to the English style and the Mausoleum, the Belvedere, and the New Pavilion were added.

Here is an overview of the sights in the palace garden:

1. The Mausoleum

The mausoleum was built after 1810 in honor of the Prussian Queen Luise, who was very popular among the people. The tomb, which resembles an ancient temple, was built at the behest of King Frederick William III, in the favorite place of the Prussian queen.

Over time, the mausoleum was expanded to serve as the final resting place for other important members of the Prussian royal household. These include King Frederick William III and Emperor William I, who rest in white marble sarcophagi.

2. Belvedere

Overlooking the Spree River, the Belvedere today houses the largest collection from the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin. The beautiful building, built by Carl Gotthard Langhans, consists of three floors and a dome. At that time, the Belvedere with its magnificent view was used as a tea house and viewing pavilion.

3. New Pavilion

The elegant New Pavilion captivates with its magnificent architecture. Designed in the Italianate style, the summer house was conceived by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and served as a retreat for King Frederick William III.

Today, the New Pavilion houses a collection of romantic paintings, as well as works by the architect and painter, Schinkel.

4. Orangery

On the west side of the park, you will encounter the magnificent Orangery, built by Eosander von Göthe. Although the Orangery was mainly used for wintering citrus trees and other potted plants, in the summer months it was transformed into a venue for magnificent balls.

Today, the orangery houses a small café. Berlin Residence Orchestra concerts are often held here.

Entrance, Tickets and Tours for Charlottenburg Palace

• Entrance: Charlottenburg Palace is open daily except Mondays. From November to March, it is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; from April to October, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Closing days: Dec. 24 and 25.
• Tickets: Different price options are available for Charlottenburg Palace. You can find the single ticket Old Palace with multimedia guide and other tickets on the official website.
• Combined Ticket: We recommend the Combined Ticket charlottenburg+, which is available online and allows you to avoid waiting lines at the palace box office thanks to a fixed admission time. This ticket gives you access to all museum facilities in the palace gardens, including Charlottenburg Palace itself, the New Pavilion and the Mausoleum.
• Ticket New Wing: Those wishing to visit the New Wing will need an additional ticket for the New Wing with audio guide, which is €10.
• Tours: The museum offers the free app "Charlottenburg SPSG", which guides visitors through the Old Palace and the New Wing with multimedia tours (available in 10 languages). You can download it from the App Store and the Google Play Store.
• Travelers' Tip: If you want to discover these and other highlights of the German capital on your own, we recommend the audio guide app Berlin – The Sightseeing Tour by YourMobileGuide.

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How to get to Charlottenburg Palace?

• From Alexanderplatz: Take the U-Bahn U2 and go 17 stops to " U Sophie-Charlotte-Platz". Then get on bus 309 and go three stops to " Schloss Charlottenburg (Berlin)".
• From Potsdamer Platz: Take the U-Bahn U2 and go 12 stops to "U Sophie-Charlotte-Platz". Change to bus line 309 here and go three stops to the "Schloss Charlottenburg (Berlin)" stop.

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History & Facts about Charlottenburg Palace

The magnificent palace, built in several phases from 1659 to 1791, served as the summer residence of the Hohenzollern dynasty.

The first builder was Sophie Charlotte of Hanover, wife of Emperor Frederick III and the first queen of Prussia. Inaugurated in 1699 as Schloss Lietzenburg, musicians, artists, poets, and philosophers frequented the palace. After her death, the palace was named Charlottenburg in her honor.

Over time, the large palace complex transformed more to the English style and the Mausoleum, the Belvedere and the New Pavilion were added. From 1888, the estate no longer served as a royal residence and could be visited from then on. During the 2nd World War the palace was severely destroyed. In 1957 it was rebuilt, true to the original.

Today, Charlottenburg Palace is administered by the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten (Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation) and can be visited as a museum.

Contact & Map

• Address: Schloss Charlottenburg Berlin, Spandauer Damm 10-22, 14059 Berlin
• Hours: Open daily except Mondays. November to March: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m; April to October: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; last admission: 30 minutes before closing.
• Public Transport: Take bus 309 or M45 to "Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg".
• Website: Charlottenburg-Palace

Sights Nearby

• Great Orangery in Charlottenburg Palace
• Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Museum in the Oppenheim Villa
• Berggruen Museum
• Bröhan Museum
• Ceramics Museum Berlin
• Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection
• Gipsformerei ,one of the National Museums in Berlin

(Link to the map)

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