At her first sight of the bizarre rock formations in the beech grove not far from Zwernitz Castle in 1746, one of the ladies at Margravine Wilhelmine’s court is said to have exclaimed ‘C’est sans pareil!’ – ‘It has no equal!’ In this unusual natural setting the Oriental Building was created between 1744 and 1748 from plans by the court architect Joseph St. Pierre as part of a summer palace complex consisting of free-standing buildings arranged around a parterre. Apart from the palace itself, only the kitchen building has survived, which today houses the palace café. The parterre was reconstructed in 1984 on the basis of a copper engraving from 1748 and gives an idea of the dimensions of the original complex.

A permanent exhibition in the Oriental Building is devoted to the diverse natural and cultural history of Sanspareil. The development of the rock garden from a shelf in the Jurassic Sea, populated by saurians and sea urchins, to a Baroque garden complex unique in European history is vividly described with interactive options. Visitors can also find out more about the use and distinctive characteristics of the building and last but not least explore the natural history collection of Margrave Friedrich.