With this revised and extended new edition of Idyllic Splendour, we invite you to explore the endless variety of stately homes and parks between Lake Constance and the Baltic Sea. With more than 15,000 castles, mansions and palaces to choose from, the richly illustrated selection presented here provides a taste of the many jewels among Germany's great houses and estates.

Germany is a country of palaces and castles, of abbeys, parks and gardens. They define our regions, give our cultural landscapes their unmistakable character, and create a sense of home and belonging, of regional rootedness and touristic flair. They offer leisure and regeneration; they are centres of culture and communication; and for the cultural historian they are an indispensable, tangible archive.

From celestially inspired Gothic to proud Renaissance, from exultant Baroque to gardens of earthly paradise, this book presents a journey of discovery. It is a journey to enjoy, and one that may well inspire you to personally explore these worlds – the choice is overwhelming.