The park, which dates from the early 19th century, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 because of its landscape architecture, which is unparalleled anywhere in the world.

"A park must be like a portrayal gallery, every few steps you should see a new tableau," says Hermann Fürst Pückler - Muskau's vision for the design of the landscape park. Pückler - Muskau created a masterpiece of landscape art on both sides of the Neiße, inspired by classic landscape painting.

Whether on foot, by bike, in the style of Pückler-Muskaus in a carriage or on a boat and by the Waldeisenbahn, a cosy railway, the Fürst - Pückler - Park with its castles is open to visitors in a variety of ways and depending on the season in different lighting moods.

Recreation seekers will find rest and regeneration in Bad Muskau, which has been a state- recognized health resort since 1997.The spa is known for its moor treatments but also for its

high-percentage thermal brine with a salinity of 8 percent and a temperature of 44 degrees Celsius.

(c) Elisabeth Storer