Schlosspark Wickrath

Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Freiherr von Quadt (1717-1785), Reichsgraf since 1752, between 1746 and 1772 had Mattheus Soiron (1722-1781) from Maastricht build a new baroque palace in a (count-) crown-shaped, pentagonal park in the Niers valley. The park is unique, has no parallels in 18th century gardens and is based upon the axial-symmetrical basic concept of absolutist design. In 1749 a gardener called Lukas prepared park plans, which, however, have not survived.
The forecastle is strictly baroque, the main castle island has developed into an English landscape garden. The dams of the ponds and the islands outer edges are surrounded by - partially double row - lime-tree avenues. A formerly wide wall-moat, the so-called cocoon (Karotte), separates the forecastle island from the main island.
The park is accessed from the north from Trompeterallee across Niers- and Pferdekopfbrücke to get into the forecastle’s inner courtyard. Across Karottebrücke one reaches the main island, which to the south is linked with Schlossacker across the new Kronenbrücke and Flutgrabenbrücke. The two islands are connected by the afore-mentioned dams.
On the occasion of the EUROGA 2002plus, the neglected park was completely reconstructed and upgraded by new and discrete plantings. An accentuation of the historical crown shape, the replanting of avenues and a silt clearance of the ponds aside, there are also new design elements: e.g. a water playground ad a modern interpretation of the “pleasure ground”. The silted south-western pond as an important nature protection area remains as untouched as does the ecologically upgraded eastern part of the cocoon. The riding courses situated on an heaped-up area to the west of the park in 2004 were completed by a lavish riding hall.

Author: Dr. Karl-Heinz Schumacher
Last changed on 19.11.2007

Categories:
Landscape Architecture » Parks