Schloss Moritzburg or Moritzburg Castle is a water castle in Saxony named after Duke Moritz who had it built in 1542 as a hunting lodge.
Starting in 1732, Duke August der Starke (the Strong) had the Renaissance castle remodeled in a Baroque style. He had ponds, parks, and animal enclosures added, the pheasantry for example, located east of the palace. For the work he had commissioned Daniel Pöppelmann, an architect and master builder of the Baroque and Rococo. He is most known for the Dresdner Zwinger. The work however stopped when August the Strong died in 1733.
Photo by Greg Montani auf Pixabay
Photo by Steffen Wachsmuth auf Pixabay
Around 70 years later, the landscaping around the castle continued, a lighthouse, harbor, and the Fasanenschlösschen (little pheasant palace) were built.
Fasanenschlösschen. Stefan Melzig - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43653868
During WWII, the owner of Moritzburg, Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony and his sons, buried some of their valuables and treasures in the garden. Most were found by Soviet forces, but in 1996, hobby archaeologists discovered chests with goldsmith works and jewels.
If you feel like you recognize Moritzburg but have never been there, it might be because you recognize the castle from one of the most beloved fairy tale movies, “Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel” (Three hazelnuts for Cinderella).
I highly recommend visiting the website www.schloss-moritzburg.de for more information and photos. The website is available in German, English, Czech, and Polish.
Photo by Toni Wendler auf Pixabay
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