Nymphenburg Palace

The Nymphenburg Palace, or the “Castle of the Nymph (or Nymphs),” is a baroque palace in Munich, Bavaria, southern Germany that was the main summer residence of the former rulers of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach. The Palace was commissioned by the prince-electoral couple Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy.

Nymphenburg Palace was designed by Italian architect Agostino Barelli in 1664 after the birth of Ferdinand and Henriette’s son, Maximilian II Emanuel. In 1675, the extension of a central pavilion was constructed and completed.

The Palace has been the birth and death place of many prominent figures. Charles Albert lived in Munich as Holy Roman Emperor at Nymphenburg and died in the Palace in 1745. In 1825, King Max I Joseph died in the same Palace where his great-grandson King Ludwig II was born twenty years later.

Today, even as it is open to the public, Nymphenburg Palace continues to be the home and chancery for Franz, Duke of Bavaria, the current head of the House of Wittelsbach. The Palace, together with its park, is now one of the most famous sights in Munich. Tourists can get up close to the Palace’s classic baroque decorations with rococo and neoclassical redesigns.