Introduction
The Augustusburg palace (Schloss Augustusburg in German) and and its hunting lodge of Falkenlust (Jagdschloss Falkenlust in German) are amongst the most impressive princely residences in Germany, and have been listed as a UNESCO cultural World Heritage Site since 1984.
History
The Baroque palaces were built at the beginning of the 18th century by the archbishop of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria (1700-1761) of the Wittelsbach family. The construction of Augustusburg began in 1725 under the supervision of the architect Johann Conrad Schlaun.
In 1728, Belgian-born architect François de Cuvilliés was commissioned to work on Augustusburg alongside Schlaun. Cuvilliés had previously been appointed court architect of Munich by Clemens August's father, Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (1662-1726), who was also the last Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and duke of Luxembourg.
The palace's imposing staircase was designed by Johann Balthasar Neumann, while the gardens are the work of Frenchman Dominique Girard.
Falkenlust was built by François de Cuvilliés from 1729 to 1740. Its style was inspired by that of the Amalienburg hunting lodge in the park of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich - a former work of Cuvilliés.
Until 1994, Augustusburg has been used as a reception hall for guests of state by the German President. It has been open to tourists since 2001.
Augustusburg Palace and its parks also serve as a venue for the Brühl Palace Concerts.
Opening Hours & Admission
The palaces are open from February to November, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm on weekdays, and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekends and holidays. They are closed on Mondays. Entry is 4 € for Schloss Augustusburg and 3 € for Jagdschloss Falkenlust. Students pay 1 € less. Family tickets cost respectively 9 € and 7 €.
The garden are open all year round from 7:00 am (7:30 am from 1 November to 31 January) to 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 pm depending on the sunset time.
Access & Orientation
Augustusburg is located in Brühl, a dozen kilometres south-west of Cologne.
By car
Coming by car, take the A61 motorway (Koblenz - Mönchengladbach) west of Cologne, as far as the Kreuz Bliesheim exit, then follow the A533 towards Brühl-Ost/Wesseling and follow the indications for Augustusburg.
By train
The property can be easily accessed by train, by getting off at Brühl Station on the Köln-Bonn line. It is about 300m on foot from the station.
Access Map
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