Schloss Charlottenburg – A Night at the King’s Palace

Were you ever invited at the Prussian King’s court? Well, we have. It happened while we were in Germany, visiting Berlin. Our visit at Schloss Charlottenburg, the summer residence of the Prussian kings, started with a tour of the Palace. It was one of our best day trips from Berlin. And then, we were invited to a sumptuous dinner and a musical soirée in the Great Orangery. And what a night that was!

A Brief History of Schlöss Charlottenburg

One of the most impressive castles in Berlin is Schloss Charlottenburg, built as a summer residence for Princess Sophie Charlotte of Hanover’s. The palace was erected in 1695 on the estate of Lietzow, a small community close to Berlin. Sophie Charlotte received the estate from her husband, King Frederick III of Brandenburg, in exchange for her estate in Caputh. The palace’s initial name was Lietzenburg.

Schlöss Charlottenburg, a Place of Retreat

Frederick was very much in love with his wife, but the feeling was not reciprocal. Sophie Charlotte was an educated woman, fluent in several languages, who surrounded herself with philosophers and artists. She also had very artistic inclinations: played the harpsichord and had an Italian opera theater constructed. 

The queen wanted to live independently from her husband and have her own court. She was happy when she could finally retreat to Schloss Charlottenburg to live her life as she pleased. Kind Frederick could only visit the palace if his wife invited him!

Shortly after Sophie Charlotte’s death, the settlement facing the palace was chartered as a town and called Charlottenburg. At the same time, the queen’s residence was renamed Schloss Charlottenburg. The palace is the largest and most important Hohenzollern residence in Berlin. 

Schlöss Charlottenburg in Modern Times

In the late 18th century, Charlottenburg became a recreational area for the city of Berlin. The town was independent until 1920m when it was incorporated into the Greater Berlin and transformed into a borough.

Today Charlottenburg it is an affluent part of Berlin and home to the beautiful Schlöss Charlottenburg. The sumptuous palace has a unique baroque garden that opens into a beautifully landscaped park.  

Visiting Schlöss Charlottenburg

The Old Palace, which is one of the most romantic places in Berlin, includes magnificently furnished baroque rooms, royal apartments, Chinese and Japanese porcelain collections, while the New Wing features rococo style furniture.

The audio guide, available in several languages, is very informative. You can buy tickets for each section separately, but the gardens are open to the public for no charge.

Next to the palace is the Kleine Orangerie restaurant that has a sunny terrace for outdoor eating in summer. Across from it is its larger sister building, the Grosse Orangerie. The building hosts classical music concerts from April to October, with music from the 17th and 18th century performed by an orchestra in baroque costumes.  

Dinner at Schloss Charlottenburg

But let’s get back to our night at Schloss Charlottenburg now. Dining with Frederick the Great is an important occasion, not to be taken lightly. After we have been led to our table by one of the ladies-in-waiting, the master of ceremonies opened the event with a champagne toast. 

Our evening began with a sumptuous candlelight dinner in the cozy ambiance of the Great Orangery, entertained by court musicians (the Berlin Palace Orchestra) performing baroque music. The menu included:

1. Delicate Pommery mustard soup with egg royal, smoked olive oil and chives,                                                                                                                                                                       
2. Confit of Duck in its own ragout with melted white butter beans and bread dumplings,                                                                                                                                                     
3. White mocha gateau in bitter chocolate glaze.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 After dinner, the master of ceremonies invited the guests to the concert hall for the musical soirée.  We listened to music by Boccherini, Mozart, Händel and Vivaldi performed impeccably by the Berlin Palace Orchestra. 

It was an outstanding evening, with plenty of pomp and ceremony. The entire experience allowed us to imagine what it must have been like at the Prussian kings’ court. 

Did you ever dream about attending a soiree at a royal palace?