Object description:
Oriental Building at Sanspareil Rock Garden – Wonsees
On first seeing the bizarre rock formations in the beech grove not far from Zwernitz Castle a guest of Margrave Friedrich is said to have exclaimed ‘C’est sans pareil!’ – ‘It has no equal!’. Between 1744 and 1748 the Oriental Building and the kitchen building opposite were constructed in this unusual natural setting from designs by the court architect Joseph St Pierre. These two buildings, which were used for festivities at the Bayreuth Court, are grouped around a sunken garden parterre, which was recreated in 1984 from a copper engraving made in 1748.
The park bordering these buildings was decorated with very little alteration to the natural surroundings with a ruined theatre and numerous smaller buildings, most of them in an Eastern Asian style. These did not however survive beyond the 19th century; only the ruined theatre still exists. All these park buildings were probably the inspiration of the highly educated and artistic Margravine Wilhelmine.
Address
Sanspareil 34
96197 Wonsees
09274 808909-11
www.bayreuth-wilhelmine.de
Opening hours
April-September:
9 am-6 pm
1-16 October: 10 am-4 pm
closed Mondays
(except: Easter Monday, 1 May, Whit Monday, 3 October)
closed 17 October-March
Park accessible all year round
Guided tours
Visit possible only with a guided tour. There are guided tours (in German) on the Oriental Building every 45 minutes.
last guided tour:
April-September: 5.15 pm
1-15 October: 3.15 pm
Admission fees 2022
Combination ticket "Sanspareil"
(Oriental Building + Zwernitz Castle)
3.50 euros regular
3 euros reduced
Combination ticket
"The world of Wilhelmine"
(all Bayreuth objects)
18 euros regular
16 euros reduced
Accessibility
Oriental building accessible via back entrance
Getting here / parking
The Sanspareil Rock Garden, situated around 40 km west of Bayreuth near the village of Wonsees, can be reached on the road B 22 or the A 70 motorway (Schirradorf exit).
Car and bus parking spaces at the entrance to the park
Further information
Service (leaflets, photo/film, links …)
Schlosscafé
0151 24114274
der_opel@web.de
Administrative office
Schloss- und Gartenverwaltung
Bayreuth-Eremitage
Ludwigstraße 21
95444 Bayreuth
0921 75969-0
Fax 0921 75969-15
sgvbayreuth@ bsv.bayern.de
www.bayreuth-wilhelmine.de
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