Formal gardens are tucked behind the magnificent yellow and white Augustusburg Castle in Brühl, Germany.

Built in 1725 by Elector Clemens August, it was trashed by Napoleon’s troops in the early 19th Century. In 1815 the palace passed to the Prussians and, thanks to King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, the building was saved. He first stayed here in 1842 and then ordered that the rooms should be renovated.

Heavily damaged in World War II, it was again renovated and now belongs to the government of North Rhine-Westfalia. As Rococo masterpieces in their own right, the Palaces of Augustusburg and nearby Falkenlust — and their gardens — have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

(Photo ©2014 by Susan McKee)