• Wörlitzer Park, Muschelnymphe

Historic Inn

»ZUM EICHENKRANZ«

A city portal for the Garden Realm

With the sophisticated inn ‘Zum Eichenkranz’, Prince Franz had a gatehouse built that would have done credit to any metropolis. Viewed from the outside, it is the entrance to the city – from the inside a gateway to the Garden Realm, which still welcomes and says goodbye to its guests today.

History

Of upscale hospitality

The three-winged half-timbered building, visible from afar, was constructed between 1785 and 1787 according to plans by architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff. The inn was designed to be the social centre of the town and a lodging for discerning travellers, artists, scholars and nobles. Indeed, the prince even instructed his construction manager, Georg Christoph Hesekiel, ‘that this inn, intended more for strangers, should not become a drinking establishment for locals.’

In 2004, the Gesellschaft der Freunde des Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreich e.V. took over the oak wreath and had it gradually renovated. Today, it is no longer open for overnight stays – but with many events and events, it is once again developing into the centre of the cultural and tourist life of the city of Wörlitz.

Come on in!

What to expect

Open

Visiting

The Freunde des Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreiches e.V. invite you to regular guided tours of the interiors of the historic inn. Various celebrities once stayed here. Follow in their footsteps – and walk through cultural metropolises such as London, Paris and Amsterdam. What does that mean? You will find out on a guided tour.

Exhibition

Ideal image Wörlitz

Would you like to understand why Wörlitz Park had such an enormous ‘wow effect’ on its visitors in the 18th century? On the second floor of the Eichenkranz, you can walk through the history of garden design and trace its transformation from the biblical paradise, through antiquity, the Renaissance and the Baroque period, to the development of the English garden.

Information for your visit

Opening hours and guided tours 2026

The oak wreath can only be visited as part of guided tours.
1 April to 31 October 2026
Saturday, Sunday, public holidays 2:00–3:00 p.m. or by appointment (at least 10 days in advance) at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday by appointment (at least 14 days in advance) at 5:00 p.m.
Special tours for groups are possible by arrangement.

Exhibition Here is now infinitely beautiful

The permanent exhibition “Here is now infinitely beautiful. Wörlitz – an ideal-typical landscape garden of the 18th century” conveys in a very vivid way the small history of European garden art as the prehistory of Wörlitz Park.

Prices

€ 5.00 per adult, reduced € 4.00

Note: Tickets can be purchased in advance in the shop “Schönes und Nützliches” next door. If the shop is closed, tickets will be sold at the meeting point by the tour guides.

Contact

Gesellschaft der Freunde des
Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreiches e.V.
Angergasse 104
06785 Oranienbaum-Wörlitz
Telefon: +49 (0)34905.30 870
info@gartenreichfreunde.de
www.gartenreichfreunde.de

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    Gartenreich Dessau-Wörlitz

    Touristinformation

    in the kitchen building at Wörlitz Palace
    Kirchgasse 35, D-06785 Oranienbaum-Wörlitz
    Phone +49 (0) 3 49 05.3 10 09
    info@welterbe-gartenreich.de
    www.welterbe-gartenreich.de

    Opening hours 2026

    January to March 20, November, December:
    Mon to Fri 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

    21. March to November 1:
    Mon to Thu, Sun, public holidays 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
    Fri and Sat 9:30 am to 5:00 pm