Pillnitz Palace and Park make for an impressive work of art thanks to their idyllic location between the Elbe river and vineyards, a charming park and three uniquely fascinating buildings.

Pillnitz Palace and Park are situated on the banks of the Elbe river in the Saxon village of Pillnitz, which is now a district of Dresden. Having originally been used a pleasure palace and later as a summer residence by the Saxon royal family, the palace often set the scene for weddings and elaborate celebrations during the days of Augustus the Strong. Two palaces with a Chinese-inspired style stand either side of the main building – the New Palace. The latter boasts the only classicist-style domed structure in Dresden, the reconstructed royal court kitchen and the Catholic chapel.

The palm house and the spectacular 28-hectare park bring the entire palace grounds into perfect harmony. The Vineyard Church is another delightful highlight, with its high hipped roof standing proudly above the vines. The camellia on display in its own greenhouse is nothing short of a miracle. It is estimated that the floral spectacle is 230 years old, over eight metres tall and eleven metres in diameter. You won't be disappointed if you pay it a visit during the flowering period between the middle of February and April, when it shows off ten thousand bell-shaped flowers in a shade of crimson red.

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