Park Großkühnau

A vineyard in the Elbaue

Between the city of Dessau and its district Großkühnau stretches near the Elbe with the park Großkühnau another beautiful landscape garden. It was created in 1805 under the Hereditary Prince Friedrich von Anhalt-Dessau.

A touch of the Mediterranean Sea blows around the vineyard on the idyllic Kühnauer See. Lined with orchards and vines, a classicist castle by the architect Pozzi sits enthroned on the hill. North of the vineyard you will find arched wall remains, which may have served as a theater backdrop.

If you walk along the lake from the Weinbergschlösschen, you will pass a small sea of reeds, in which a variety of animals and plants are home. Visible from afar is the Evangelical Church Großkühnau, which was built as one of the first Neo-Romanesque-Byzantine churches in Germany in the period from 1828 to 1830.

Adjacent to the church is Schloss Großkühnau, which was built in 1780 for Prince Albert of Anhalt-Dessau. From the beginning – except for the ballroom – it was rather simply furnished and was rebuilt in the 19th century. Since 1998, the administrative headquarters of the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation have been located here and are not open to visitors.

As everywhere in the Gartenreich, you will come across sculptures, small architectures and sculptures everywhere, which complete the architectural picture of the garden.

Continue reading