Do as the Victorians did
From enchanting architecture and stylish gardens to historic towns, Germany’s Thuringia, a favourite destination of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, has got it all
The ernestine dynasty, which ruled Thuringia for centuries, not only left delightful palaces and gardens behind, but also established links with a great many european royal families through a busy marriage policy. The most famous offspring are Prince Albert of Saxe-coburg and Gotha and Queen Victoria, his cousin and wife.
The handsome town of Gotha was one the favourite residences of the ernestine Dukes and the royal couple and their children were frequent guests. Albert had a special relationship with Gotha, as it was home to his beloved grandmother Duchess Karoline Amalie of Saxe-coburg-altenburg. With Friedenstein Castle, the ekhof Theatre, the Ducal Museum, the Orangery and the gardens, the 16th-century Baroque ethos has survived in the charming town to this day.
Friedenstein (literally, ‘peace-rock’), one of the largest early-baroque castles in Germany, was completed in 1654. Duke ernst I started an ‘Arts Chamber’, which eventually produced a collection of international significance. The castle features original royal living quarters and reception rooms, in which visitors can pass through several epochs, from Baroque through Rococo to Classicism.
Amid the various collections within the castle is the world’s oldest Baroque theatre, the ekhoftheater—nowadays, you don’t have to be royal to enjoy the atmospheric performances. The castle gardens, with their stylish flowerbeds and handsome Orangery, are perfect for a relaxing stroll.
But there’s more still to Thuringia’s fame. The area is largely shaped by its illustrious inhabitants, from composers and musicians such as Bach and Liszt to reformer Martin Luther, poets Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
‘The area is shaped by its illustrious inhabitants, from composers to painters and philosophers’