Schloss Philippsruhe

A photo tour to Hanau's icon

Schloss Philippsruhe is a beautiful baroque palace in Kesselstadt, a suburb in the west of Hanau, Germany. Join me on a tour to the past, and see some wonderful pictures of Germany.

The palace was built from 1701 as a summer residence for Graf Philipp Reinhard von Hanau-Lichtenberg, based on French models.
The two-storey main building, or corps de logis, is flanked by two one-storey wings on each side. Schloss Philippsruhe is one of the most important architectural and cultural monuments in Hessen.

Its location on the banks of the river Main, the large park behind the castle, the museum, the fairy tale festival and the terrace make the palace a favourite destination for locals and visitors from all over Hesse, Germany, and the world.

Let me show you around one of the most beautiful places in Hanau, Germany.

Schloss Philippsruhe castle in Hanau Germany

The Historical Museum

Since 1964 the historical museum for local, cultural and arts history has its home in the main building of the palace. The ground floor houses the section "history of architecture" and "topography of Hanau".

A splendid room on the beletage with a tiled stove

The beletage, the most beautiful and magnificent storey, houses exhibitions of art and craftsmanship, including a collection of Dutch painters.
The word beletage is the germanised version of the French word "bel étage", which refers to the main floor of a palace or mansion. Well, we people in Hessen would say "Gut Stubb" :).

The marvellous tiled stoves in the different rooms date back to the late 19th century. Along with two Venetian chandeliers they are the only remains of the original furniture and fittings in Schloss Philippsruhe.

Hanau Fayence

Beer Stein

Fayence (engl. faience) is tin-glazed pottery with beautiful paintings. The first German faience manufactory was opened in Hanau in 1661. Faiences were produced in Hanau until 1806.

Device to hold the ink pot and quill pen

The former dining hall on the beletage shows the beautiful examples of Hanau Fayences.

The museum's cafe at Schloss Philippsruhe invites for a rest

The Cafe, with a balcony overlooking the court yard, can be booked for festive receptions. As the registry office's wedding hall is downstairs, Hanau residents can celebrate their wedding in style at Philippsruhe.

Top of Palace Philippsruhe

Papiertheater Museum

Papiertheater (paper or toy theatre) is a miniture theatre on printed paperboard sheets. They became famous in Germany and Europe in the early 19th century. The set of paper sheets were assembled at home and family and neighbours invited to enjoy the play. Toy theatres were replicas of popular plays and fairy tales.

Paper theatre from a Nürnberg toy pattern book
Source: Wikipedia public domain

2010 the Papiertheater Museum in Hanau celebrates its 20th anniversary. The museum re-opened after renovations on Saturday 5th June 2010 with guest performances of notable paper theatres.
The Papiertheater Museum is a special museum within the historical museum in the palace.

Tourist Information Centre

The museum in Schloss Philippsruhe is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 6 pm. Admission: €2.50 adults, €4.00 for families.
Access to the museum cafe is free.

Explore more castles in Germany and don't miss my other pages about Hanau:

Heidelberg Castle | German Castles | Hanau main page | Lamboyfest Hanau

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