Prinz Georg Garten, Darmstadt
At the northeastern end of the Herrngarten, surrounded by a wall, lies Prinz Georg Garten- one of the loveliest gardens in Darmstadt, Germany.
Unlike Herrngarten, the Prinz Georg Garden can still be experienced today in its original state, with lawns, fountains, and sundials. It is believed that the former Herrngarten might have initially (when it combined the functions of a pleasure garden and kitchen garden)looked like Prinz Georg Garten. While Herrngarten is a leisure garden today, this garden serves the purpose of a leisure/ornamental garden(Ziergarten in German) and a kitchen garden (Nutzgarten in German). In addition to the beautiful lawns with ornamental flowers, vegetables like potatoes, carrots, mint, etc., are also grown here.
Prinz Georg Garten, just like Herrngarten, also has a story that dates back to the 16th century, when it was formed by combining two gardens-Palaisgarten in the north with the Prettlackschengarten in the south. Ludwig VIII gifted this newly created estate in 1764 to his son Prinz Georg Wilhelm. Hence the name of the garden.
There are two important structures in the garden :
Das Prinz-Georg-Palais:
The Prince George Palais was originally a baroque garden house built around 1710. The Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig brought together the Grand Ducal Hessian Porcelain Collection of porcelain and other ceramic products. He opened the collection to the public as a museum in 1908. The building survived the Second World War almost undamaged. Recently it has been renovated and is open for public visits.
More information about the museum can be found here: https://www.schloesser-hessen.de/de/prinz-georg-garten
Das Prettlack’sche Gartenhaus:
The Prettlack’sche Gartenhaus was built by Lieutenant General Johann Rudolf von Prettlack, a son-in-law of Landgrave Ernst Ludwig, around 1711. Over a period of time, around the 19th century, the decorative painting on the walls was spoilt. It was restored in 2001.
Today, it houses a small library stocked with books donated by other readers from their collections. It also contains a reading room. Books can be borrowed free of cost to be read in the park or taken home. It is a trust-based system, and users are expected to return the books.
The official website of the garden is:
https://www.schloesser-hessen.de/de/prinz-georg-garten/
Here, one can find information about the garden and its history and visitors’ information such as guided tours, park opening timings, etc.
The sale of fruit, vegetables, and plants from the garden takes place between May and October, on Wednesdays between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm and Fridays between 10:00 am and 12:30 pm.
Prinz Georg Garten is a beautiful garden in the heart of the city with well-manicured lawns full of beautiful blooming flowers during the spring and summer seasons.
It can only be visited on foot( bicycles are not allowed). It is ideal for a leisure walk, a peaceful time with a book to read, a museum visit, or buying fresh produce from the erstwhile princely garden.
Check out my photo gallery to see more pictures of this beautiful garden.
To know more about places and experiences in and around Darmstadt, click here.
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