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Linderhof Palace – the beautiful palace in the mountain of Bavaria, Germany

Claire — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:42:17 +0000

The idea to build Linderhof Palace came from the King Ludwig II of Bavaria while visiting the International Exhibition in Paris in 1867. Napoleon III took him to Compiègne, the Louvre, the Tuileries and Versailles. Ludwig II was so impressed of Versailles Palace that he returned to Bavaria and decided to build a replica of the Sun King’s palace (Versailles Palace), as an expression of absolute monarchy.

Construction of the Linderhof Palace began in 1870 under the leadership of Georg Dollmann and was completed in 1878 as a memorial to the absolute monarchy of the French kings. The castle was built in the Rococo style according to the style of Bourbon kings. Linderhof Palace is the only building constructed by Ludwig II. It was also his favorite residence until his tragic death in 1886.

The entrance hall is surrounded by a red marble pilasters, and there is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. It is a copy of the statue from the Place Vendôme (square in Paris) which was made by Francois Girardon. Visiting a Palace is really a great experience, especially the Hall of Mirrors which is the most richly decorated room in Linderhof Palace.

The palace includes also the park with an area of 198 acres. There is even a waterfall and fountain with Neptune, or a classic circular temple with a marble statue of Venus.

Around the Linderhof Palace you can find romantic structures like Venus Grotto, Hunding’s Hut, Gurnemanz Hermitage, Moorish Kiosk or Moroccan House.

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Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild – one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe | France

Claire — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:48:16 +0000

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe located in France, in St. Jean Cap Ferrat, between Nice and Monaco. St. Jean Cap Ferrat was at the beginning of the 19th century one of the most famous summer resorts in Europe. The most beautiful palace of the French Riviera and in total 9 different gardens of Baroness Béatrice Rothschild is in the form of a ship. 30 gardeners have been working for the vivid dream of Baroness Béatrice. Béatrice, wife of a wealthy Russian banker Maurice Ephrussiho, liked art, to which she dedicated all her life. She collect porcelain, sculptures and antique furniture, and when she died in 1934 in seventy-five years, she left the entire collection to the French Academy of Fine Arts.

The town is a resort of the aristocracy, the wealthy and celebrities. Some famous people spent holidays here, such as Charlie Chaplin, or Winston Churchill. Admission to the villa is 10 euros.

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Frederiksborg Palace in Denmark – the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia

Claire — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:31:36 +0000

Magnificent Frederiksborg Palace (or castle) is situated on the shores of the lake Slotsø near the town of Hillerød. King Christian IV. began with the construction of the Renaissance chateau in the early 17th century. He built a beautiful palace with the castle church. By 1840 all Danish kings were crowned there. On the walls of the church there are characters and coats of arms of the most famous noble families. The church has also been used as Knight’s Chapel for the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog.

Since 1848, Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and kings have not been crowned any more. In 1859 there was a large fire in the castle and the majority of the castle has been destroyed. Restoration has been proceeded with the intention to build a museum of Danish history in the castle. Tourists now pass through magnificently furnished rooms which are divided into different time periods, and can see the rich history of the Danish kingdom. The castle is richly equipped with paintings, furniture and interior decorative accessories. Frederiksborg is the Denmark’s largest gallery of portraits of all kings and queens from the year 1500, along with hundreds of other prominent Danish people.

Frederiksborg Palace is surrounded by a lake and park, which consists of a Baroque French garden and English park. From May to September, you can take tour boat around the castle. The start point is near the main square with city hall and the finish at the castle gardens.

The castle is located in the town of Hillerød, the final lines of the S-train. The city’s history is closely linked to the castle. Before castle construction there stood only a few village houses. Soon the city grew and became a center of commerce. Even today you can do shopping here, as well as in the center of Copenhagen, all the major companies have their own clothing shops here in the shopping street.

Hillerød is a vibrant town with 35,000 inhabitants and a beautiful castle, which is its greatest attraction.

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