Fantaisie Castle, too, forms part of Wilhelmine’s legacy, albeit second-hand: it was built by Wilhelmine’s daughter, Duchess Elisabeth Friederike Sophie. Following the breakdown of her marriage to the Duke of Württemberg, she returned to Bayreuth and, from 1761 onwards, built herself a private retreat in Donndorf near Eckersdorf, entirely in the spirit of the margrave’s garden art that her mother had established in Bayreuth.
🌳 Three eras in one park
What makes the Fantaisie so special is that the park brings together three stylistic eras of garden design – whimsical Rococo, sentimental landscape design and 19th-century historicist features, which were gradually incorporated into the garden.
🏛️ Museum of Garden Art
In 2000, the Bavarian Palace Administration opened Germany’s first Museum of Garden Art in the palace. It tells the story of garden art from the 17th to the 19th century, with a focus on southern Germany and Franconia.
🕒 Visiting
The palace and park are situated in Donndorf, a few kilometres west of Bayreuth. The park is freely accessible; the museum is open during the Bavarian Palace Administration’s opening hours.