Paretz: Palace, Village and Garden Architecture

The historic area of Paretz belongs to the municipality of Ketzin/Havel and is protected as a historic ensemble. When planning your trip, the area offers several distinct historical themes: the connection between palace and village, designed as a summer residence; the royal living quarters; garden design; and individual buildings with their own history. So if you are choosing a destination with a historical focus, Paretz can be understood through more than just its palace. Garden architecture and the history of engineering are also among the themes that shape the area.

Palace and Village as an Ensemble

From 1797 to 1804, David Gilly laid out the Paretz palace and village ensemble according to a plan as a summer residence for Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm III and his wife Luise. The plan links the royal residence with the village and gives Paretz a historical framework that extends beyond a single building. This is a useful distinction when choosing a historical focus: the area’s history can be viewed as the story of a planned ensemble, not just the history of a palace.

A tour of the royal living quarters in Paretz Palace reveals valuable furniture, paintings, prints and the famous Paretz wallpapers. The furnishings bring together several aspects: furniture, visual art and wallpaper art can all be seen on the same tour. This puts the focus elsewhere than the creation of the ensemble, centring instead on the specific design of the living quarters. If you are particularly interested in historic interiors, the tour offers a distinct focus alongside the history of the area and its buildings.

Park and Garden Architecture

7.5 hectares of Paretz Park remain. Mature trees, landform modelling, paths and buildings preserve elements that convey an impression of the historic garden design. Restoration is still underway. Both aspects matter when considering the park: the surviving features convey something of its historic design, while restoration continues. This makes the park a different subject from the furnished palace rooms: here, the focus is on the landscape, paths and buildings within a historic garden.

Another example of garden architecture is the Grottenberg ensemble, with the “little temple” and artificial grotto. It has been reconstructed as an ensemble. This provides another way to explore garden architecture, through a named, reconstructed ensemble, while mature trees, landform modelling, paths and buildings shape the park.

Other Buildings and Activities

The village church in Paretz is considered probably the oldest Neo-Gothic village church in the Mark. The Paretz lock offers another perspective on the history of engineering: it is a technical monument and was entered on the Nauen district’s heritage register in 1984. The historic ice cellar in Paretz houses an exhibition on the history of ice cellars. These three topics are quite distinct: a Neo-Gothic village church, a technical monument and an exhibition on the history of ice cellars.

Cycling can also be part of your travel plans. A detour via Etzin on the seventh stage of the FONTANE.RAD cycle tour leads to Paretz. This means the area features not only in connection with its history, but also as a destination on this route section. At the Alternative Bockwindmühle Paretz, bread is baked the traditional way in a small stone oven. Check in advance whether baking is planned as part of a particular activity.

For the wider travel overview: Ketzin.