page_title: Pillnitz Castle
section_title: Buildings
hierarchical_section_title: Pillnitz Castle / Buildings
caption_attribution_description: Panorama of the Schloss Pillnitz in Dresden and the Elbe island at Kleinzschachwitz
context_page_description: Pillnitz Castle is a restored Baroque palace at the eastern end of the city of Dresden in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the bank of the River Elbe in the former village of Pillnitz. Pillnitz Castle was the summer residence of many electors and kings of Saxony; it is also known for the Declaration of Pillnitz in 1791.
  The Pillnitz Castle complex consists of three main buildings, the Riverside Palace on the riverfront; the Upper Palace on the hillside, both Baroque with Chinoiserie elements; and the later Neoclassical New Palace, which links them together on the east side. The buildings enclose a Baroque garden and are surrounded by a large public park.
  Today, the palace houses the Arts and Crafts Museum of the Dresden State Art Collections and a Palace Museum.
context_section_description: The main buildings are the Upper Palace (Bergpalais), built between 1722 and 1723, and the Riverside Palace (Wasserpalais), built between 1720 and 1721. The Riverside Palace has elegant steps down to the river. The two are connected on the east side by the New Palace (Neues Palais), built in Neoclassical style between 1819 and 1826 after the Countess' palace burnt down in 1818. The New Palace contains the royal kitchen and a Catholic chapel. The roofs and moldings in each of the buildings exemplify the Oriental-influenced style fashionable during that period.
  Today, the New Palace contains the Palace Museum (Schlossmuseum) with a permanent exhibition presenting its eventful history as a former royal Saxon summer residence. It houses the only neo-classical domed hall in Dresden, opened in 1823. The royal kitchen shows “cooking machines” and original copper pots and pans in its reconstructed historical setting. Here, approximately 27 employees prepared meals for the royal family and their entourage. The Catholic chapel in the eastern wing of the New Palace is also part of the Palace Museum. Its multiple frescos by the court painter, Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein, depict scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.
  The Upper Palace and Riverside Palace house the Arts and Crafts Museum (Kunstgewerbemuseum) of the Dresden State Art Collections. It exhibits furniture, ceramics and other objects from the 13th to the 20th century, including the throne of Augustus II. Some of the exhibition rooms retain the original decoration.
  The visitor center is located in the Alte Wache (Old Guardhouse), a small building east of the New Palace.
caption: Riverside Palace with, in the foreground, the elongated isle and nature reserve on the Elbe
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