A visit to Belrath palace
On the Southern edge of Düsseldorf lies a pastel pink gem of a palace. It was built in the 18th century by Charles Theodor and his wife Elizabeth Auguste of Sulzbach. The owners used it once and then never saw it again. Well.. they got a better deal, inheriting power and property in Bavaria. But the palace was used by other people and has been taken care of really well throughout the decades. Since the early 1900s it’s been a museum and you can still take a guided tour.
A tour takes about 1 hour and the guide will first explain some of its history on the grounds in front, before you enter the building. We all did our corona virus sign-ins and then we put some gigantic slippers over our shoes and started touring the rooms. Since I’ve seen my share of palaces I did not have very high expectations of this one. Maybe because of that, or maybe just because it’s beautiful, the rooms blew me away.
There weren’t a lot of rooms to see. We entered some of the bigger rooms, but also left out a lot of the top floors on this tour. But the rooms we did see were in great shape and very well designed. Our guide made it very interesting as well, starting with showing us some mystery doors in the first room. She made us guess what would be hidden behind them. After a few wrong guesses, she revealed a staircase behind door number 1. The palace was designed in such a way that the outside houses the big rooms with the high ceilings, but on the inside are many more floors and staircases for the staff to move around. There were even tunnels for the staff to reach their living quarters in the side buildings!
As you may expect from a baroque palace, it had a lot of beautifully decorated ceilings, different wall papers in all rooms (some of them made of silk), and gorgeous wooden floors. We first saw the lady’s side of the building, then an incredible hall and finished with the quarters of the man of the house. The main hall, or ball room, was very impressive. The ceiling consists of flowers in a cupola, with a painting in the middle. There is hole in the center, where a band could sit and play music without being in the way of the guests. There are some big windows that each look out onto one of the roads leading into the garden. It was obviously thought through into the detail.
The park around the palace is now a public park and it is very popular for wedding photos. At one point we saw 3 different couples taking photos on the steps in front of the palace! If you want to be really fancy, you can get married inside too. Whether you visit as a newlywed or just as a tourist, it’s worth taking a look inside at the hidden elegance.
Thanks John. I like to explore. It doesn’t even have to be so far from home 🙂 Hope you can find some time for yours !