Charlottenburg Palace was built in stages beginning in 1695 and continuing until 1746. It was heavily damaged by allied bombing during WWII, and has been nicely restored. Our first visit on the tour bus was under overcast conditions and only included the front entrance from outside the fence. On a subsequent visit we took in the entire palace, including the magnificant French baroque garden out back. Also pictured is the statue of some famous person in the front courtyard and the little guard house by the front gate. I know I'm not supposed to feel this way, but I was glad to see that even fancy castle lawns can be afflicted with gophers!