The impressive old gardens surrounding Charlottenburg Palace are popular among the visitors and locals from Berlin, who can rest in a comfortable atmosphere free of daily burden.
The newly renovated Palace offers the intimate view of the State Apartments of the kings of Prussia and several interesting art collections.

The original palace has been build as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Friedrich I King of Prussia.
After her death in 1705 Friedrich changed the name of palace its estate from Lietzenburg to Charlottenburg, and continued the works on Palace with the idea to build the residence better and more splendid than the French Versaille.
The palace received the doomed tower and enlarged vestibule. The surrounding gardens were enriched by the construction of Orangerie, the central point of various palace’s events.
The successors of king Friedrich made their own contributions to the building which was finally finished in 1740′s however never became the main residence of royal family, which preferred new Sanssouci at Potsdam and Schoenhausen.

After the serious damages from the Second World War there were the plans to demolish Charlottenburg Palace in early 1950′s.
Fortunately instead of destruction the castle undergone the heavy restoration to show the present visitors the splendour of residence of Prussian Kings.

To see are the the State Apartments including the Chambers of Frederick the Great, the Winter Chambers of Friedrich Wilhelm II and other apartments like the Banqueting Hall and , the Throne Room.

The main attraction of the Palace is Porzellankabinett, a chamber filled with impressive collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain.
There are also several separate exhibitions in various parts of the palace.
The works of Romantism artists feature landscapes by Casper David Friedrich, there is a small but interesting Art Deco collection, and another one of 20th century art with pictures by Picasso and Klee.

[photo courtesy of extranoise]