Ludwigslust Palace

Ludwigslust Palace (Schloss Ludwigslust) in northern Germany's Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was the main residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and is often called the "Versailles of Mecklenburg." A palace, a stone cascade, a court church and a planned Baroque town line up along one grand axis, with the state's largest palace park behind it. Its most surprising secret: much of the lavish interior decoration is made of painted papier-mâché. It's an easy and rewarding stop between Hamburg and Berlin.

History

Ludwigslust started as a modest hunting lodge in the 1730s. Duke Frederick, nicknamed "the Pious," moved his court here from Schwerin in the 1760s and built an entire residence town. The present palace was built between 1772 and 1776 by architect Johann Joachim Busch in a restrained neoclassical style, and from 1763 to 1837 Ludwigslust served as the dukes' main seat.

Money was tight, so instead of marble and fine woods the court workshop produced "Ludwigslust Carton," carved and painted papier-mâché, for ceiling ornaments, sculptures, clock cases and even candlesticks. After decades of use as an office building in East German times, the palace was carefully restored, with work completed in 2015.

What to see

• The Golden Hall: A two-story ballroom of about 3,200 square feet (300 m²) with twelve giant Corinthian columns in white and gold.
• The state apartments: Audience rooms, cabinets and a gallery filled with portraits, clocks and cork models of ancient buildings.
• The cascade: About 230 feet (70 m) wide and fed by a 17-mile (28 km) canal that relies only on natural gradient, no pumps.
• The park: At roughly 314 acres (127 ha), the largest palace park in the state. For safety reasons, only the main avenue (Hofdamenallee) and the lawn parterre are currently open.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, the palace museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October, and only on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November to March. In July and August it opens daily. Last entry is one hour before closing. Admission is €9 (€7 reduced), and visitors under 18 enter free. The park is free and open year-round. Group tours in foreign languages can be booked in advance.

How to get there

Ludwigslust lies on the rail line between Hamburg and Berlin, so it works well as a stopover on a journey between the two cities; Schwerin, the state capital, is also close by. From the station, the palace is roughly a 15-minute walk through the planned town. Regional trains accept the Deutschlandticket. Drivers will find parking near the palace square.

Good to know

Allow two to three hours for the palace and a walk along the canals. The Alte Wache (Old Guardhouse) on the palace square houses a restaurant. On windy days, stay alert in the park, as the palace administration warns of falling branches.

Nearby

• Ludwigslust Court Church: Facing the palace at the other end of the axis, with a monumental painted altar wall.
• Schwerin Palace: The fairy-tale castle on an island in Lake Schwerin, easy to reach by train.