Schloss Gymnich

Schloss Gymnich is a water castle in the Erft meadows near Erftstadt. It stands on a rectangular island surrounded by water-filled moats. A broad avenue of lime trees leads from the entrance gate to the main building. The castle’s two wings were built at different times. After a fire in 1642 the west wing and chapel tower were rebuilt in the Baroque style between 1655 and 1659. Inside, the Kurfürstensaal displays portraits of the Rhineland electors and the Marmorkabinett holds a likeness of Empress Maria Theresia. A large park with native and exotic trees stretches over twenty-one hectares. Visitors cross a bridge from the former farmyard to the main island. The north wing, added in 1722, contains rococo rooms with elaborate stucco work. A Neobarock porch marks the modern entrance. The castle park, once the setting for political talks, now offers quiet walks among century-old oaks and magnolias.