Berlin - Charlottenburg Palace

On our first full day in Berlin, we spent the morning visiting Charlottenburg Palace. The original palace, named Lietzenburg, was built between 1695 and 1699 about 7.5 kilometers from Berlin. It was commissioned by Electress Sophie Charlotte, second wife of Elector Frederick III, as a rural retreat away from the duties of court in Berlin. In 1701, Frederick declared himself King of Prussia, and the little retreat was expanded to be fit for royalty. Sophia Charlotte died in 1705 and Frederick renamed the palace in her honor.
This was a really pretty property and interesting compared to the other palaces we have seen in Germany. Most of the palaces we have seen so far were in a Baroque Rocco style. This palace had Asian influences everywhere, from the white harpsichord that Sophia Charlotte played to the famous Charlottenburg Porcelain Cabinet - both pictured below. The walls had beautiful fabric wall coverings, huge chandeliers hung in most rooms, and there were amazing murals on most all the ceilings. The detail work was everywhere. There are many gilt covered carvings on the walls and ceilings and even the fireplaces were customeized with Sophia Carolette's initials. It was an interesting day and a lot of fun to see.