Schleissheim palace complex — Attraction in Oberschleißheim

The Schleissheim Palace comprises three individual palaces in a grand baroque park in the village of Oberschleißheim, a suburb of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The palace was a summer residence of the Bavarian rulers of the House of Wittelsbach.

The history of Schleissheim Palace started with a renaissance country house (1598) and hermitage founded by William V close to Dachau Palace. The central gate and clock tower between both courtyards both date back to the first building period. The inner courtyard is called Maximilianshof, the outer one Wilhelmshof. Under William's son Maximilian I the buildings were extended between 1617 and 1623 by Heinrich Schön and Hans Krumpper to form the so-called Old Palace. This plan is typologically similar to the castle of Laufzorn in Oberhaching begun by Maximilian's brother Albert the year before. There, too, a free staircase leads up to the first floor, which is used as a mansion. The building, which was designed in the style of Andrea Palladio in the late renaissance, was completed in 1623.

The rooms were decorated by Peter Candid. Maximilian's son and successor Ferdinand Maria died here in 1679. After heavy destruction in the Second World War the palace with its spacious buildings was reconstructed. Most of the stucco decoration of the chapel Wilhelmskapelle has been preserved. The Old Schleissheim Palace houses today two exhibitions, one on religious culture, the other the history of Prussia. The Grand Hall in the middle of the main building today serves as foyer for the museums.

The grand park is one of the rare preserved baroque gardens in Germany. Its structure with canals and bosquet area was arranged by Zuccalli. Dominique Girard, a pupil of Le Notre, constructed the grand parterre and the cascade until 1720. Water forms since the central element in the garden. The Grand Canal in the garden center and the ditch round of Lustheim island are part of the northern Munich channel system, a system of waterways that connected also to the complex of Nymphenburg Palace.

From the Old Palace, a line of sight goes south to the Frauenkirche in Munich, which is also the end point of another line of sight of the Fürstenried Palace. The northern side channel has finally Dachau Palace as target. In the Brunnhaus (well house), which was built in 1867 north of the Old Palace by Carl von Effner, the waterwheel and the pumps are still present, the fountains are, however, now powered by...

I would like to recommend to visit so beautiful place Schleißheim Old and New Palaces, copper engraving after Mathias Disel, ca. 1722

Schleißheim palace complex was founded by Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria (1548-1626), who in 1597 purchased the isolated moorland farm of Schleißheim with its St Margaret's Chapel for a large sum of money from the Freising Cathedral chapter. Wilhelm renounced the splendours of court life at an early stage, devoted himself to religious meditation and in 1598 finally abdicated in favour of his energetic son Maximilian. The founding of Schleißheim reflected his personal inclination towards pious contemplation.

In the period from 1598 to 1600 Wilhelm had an estate and a manor built within the complex, which was surrounded by small hermitages and forest chapels. The duke, who had no intention of altering the character of the property as a farm, extended its activities with a stud farm which supplied his stables. Schleißheim beer and Schleißheim cheese were produced. Attracted in particular by the profits from the farming business, Maximilian I (reigned 1598-1651) acquired the complex from his father in 1616 in return for a life annuity The Schleißheim park was designed in strict alignment with Lustheim and the New Palace and is one of the most important baroque gardens in Europe.

It was initially influenced by Dutch garden design, and subsequently extended by the French garden expert and waterworks engineer Dominique Gerard in the French baroque garden style. With his embroidered parterres, pools, fountains and cascades he created a unique design, the basic features of which have remained unchanged.

The ensemble consisting of the New and Old Palaces, Lustheim Palace and the extensive baroque garden is a splendid example of court architecture and garden design from the 17th and...

Very good visit, we had lunch outside in the biergarten of Schlosswirtschaft Oberschleissheim, the restaurant to the side of the old palace, it is a limited menu but the food was delicious and reasonably price. Parking was 1 euro, and on a Thursday there was plenty of parking places available. It is 8 euro to tour all 3 palaces. The old palace has been mostly rebuilt from the war, and contains a museum of figurines from around the world of the life of Jesus. The new palace is mostly an art museum with some of the original art, as well as extensive ceiling paintings in almost all the rooms. the castle of Lustheim at the far end of the property past the fountains can be a bit of a walk on a hot day, approx 1300m, but on either side are shaded walkways for these days. It houses a museum of porcelain work from different cultures/regions. There is little English translation in the Old Palace or Lustheim's Castle. The New Palace does have each of the room descriptions translated in to English, but little more then that. The New Palace has the most area/rooms for you to explore and see, the Old Palace rooms seems to be modernized with the rebuild, and you are limited to the center front area of the palace where the museum is contained. You are also limited in the Castle of Lusthiem to the museum areas only, but the rooms seem to be mostly in their original layout. A great visit and beautiful property to...