Empress Augusta Gardens

These public gardens stretch along the river for over 2km from the ‘swan pond’ to the Electoral Palace. Starting in 1855, the woman who was later to become Empress Augusta created a park which was richly adorned with pavilions, sculptures, fountains and terraces. Her ideas were implemented by the Prussian landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné. The park was intended for the local population as a place for meeting, recreation and education. It was also hoped it would promote social harmony and loyalty to the Prussian royal dynasty. During the course of its 200 year history the appearance of the so-called ‘Rheinanlagen’ has undergone dramatic changes. However different the tastes and fashions of the day, the underlying design principle has always been the dramatic presentation of the landscape. And this, too, was the leitmotiv when work started on the restoration of the Rheinanlagen for the 2011 Federal Horticultural Show. The spacious riverside steps in front of the Electoral Palace are a striking example of how the landscape can be staged and offer a spectacular Rhine panorama.

Over 2km long, the park on the banks of the Rhine is a recreational paradise and cultural experience rolled into one.