Anchor point no. 21 of the Via Romantika (Castles and Palaces)
It provided more than its fair share of material for books and movies: The liaison between Augustus the Strong and the Countess Anna Constantia von Cosel is said to be one of the great and tragic love stories of the 18th century. After she fell into disgrace, the elector repossessed Pillnitz Palace. The emperor who endeavoured to create a Saxon Venice thought of the property that by then was still located outside of Dresden on the Elbe river as ideal venue for courtly celebrations. Augustus had the mountain and water palace built. In the 19th century, the New Palace completed the ensemble, all built in Chinoise style that combined the architecture of Baroque and Classicism with the architecture from the Far East thus creating a unique appearance. The gardens are famous for their trees from all over the world and the oldest camellia in Europe that even has its own house. Augustus preferred to travel to his “pleasure palace” by boat, which looked like a gondola, a copy of which can be admired in the park. Today, different museums and a hotel are located in the palace. In this way visitors can spend many a carefree hour in Pillnitz as did the elector with the vibrant personality.
