The counts and princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen determined the development of the royal seat for more than half a millennium.
Even today, the stately castle complex towers above the market square - surrounded by a picturesque castle park. There has been evidence of a garden here for almost 500 years. It all began with a kitchen garden outside of the west wing of the castle. At the end of the 17th century, the pleasure garden was laid out in the Baroque style, which also included the octagonal house and a large orangery. Pineapples were cultivated in the orangery with particular dedication. Around 1800, the princely family had recreational facilities such as a shooting range built, and the landscape park was extended. During the Second World War, air raids also damaged the former princely park, destroying the orangery. Today the freely accessible English-style landscape garden with its park ponds and the river Wipper is a green oasis in the middle of the residence town.
