Castle Moritzburg, Saxony, Germany

Castle Moritzburg is about eight miles northwest of Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony. It is built on an artificial symmetrical island, built on the site of a hunting lodge of Duke Moritz of Saxony in 1546. The surrounding woods and lakes have been a favorite hunting and fishing area of the electors and kings of Saxony for centuries. Over its first two hundred years, a chapel was added, the hunting lodge was expanded, and the surrounding grounds were extended to include a building to store bird nets; one of the largest Baroque fountains in Saxony, the Well of Venus; and a miniature harbor with a jetty and lighthouse.

The interior of the castle includes walls covered in 17th century gold-guilded leather, the largest collection of red deer antler in the world, and a four-poster bed with a canvas cover with a million peacock, pheasant, guinea hen, and duck feathers woven into the fabric. There is also an exhibition of Japanese, Chinese, and Messian porcelain, depicting hunting, mythological motifs, and animal figurines, silver furniture in the style of Louis XIV's furniture at Versailles, and a collection of royal carriages.

A pavilion called the Little Pheasant Castle, was build in 1776, about 1.5 miles away, in the adjacent woods. It is built in the Chinese style, and includes an open cupola with a pair of Chinese figures a parasol as a finial. The interior furnishings include inlaid wood paneling, gilded and painted ceilings, and walls finished with embroidered silk, pearls, and feathers.

The surrounding land includes woods with multiple trails designed for fox hunting, and ponds stocked with carp for fishing. The formal gardens were designed in the French style of other European royal courts of the time, and include rare plants. The gardens were later developed into a park in the Romantic style.

Castle Moritzburg is open to the public for tours.

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