At the Baroque Augustusburg Castle, in the city of Brühl in thes North Rhine–Westphalia state, northwest Germany

 The Rhine River of western Europe is one of the great rivers of the continent and among the most important arteries of industrial transport in the world.

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(in northwest Germany) The city of Brühl in thes North Rhine–Westphalia state, lies near the left bank of the Rhine, south of Cologne. It was a stronghold of the electors of Cologne from 1285 onward, and its Baroque Augustusburg Castle (depicted here), with extensive gardens and a famous staircase by Balthasar Neumann, was their summer residence. Within Augustusburg’s gardens is the smaller Falkenlust, a hunting lodge by François de Cuvilliés. (Both castles were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.)
+ After World War II, Augustusburg Castle was often used by the federal government for official functions.The city of Brühl is found in the district of Rhine-Erft, 20 km (~12.4 mi.) south of the Cologne city center and at the edge of the Rhineland Nature Park, a famous nature reserve.

+ Brühl received its town privileges in 1285. From 1567 on, the city of Brühl was the official residence of the Prince Bishops of Cologne. In the 18th century the Prince Bishop Clemens August replaced a former ruined castle and built the Augustusburg and Falkenlust palaces near the city center. Today, both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their outstanding rococo architecture. (Until 1990 Augustusburg Palace was used by the federal government to receive foreign heads of states visiting West Germany.)

+ The Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces form a historical building complex in Brühl. The buildings are connected by the spacious gardens and trees of the Schlosspark. Augustusburg Palace (German: Schloss Augustusburg) and its parks also serve as a venue for the Brühl Palace Concerts. The Augustusburg Castle was built and funded by Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria (of the Wittelsbach family), and designed by the architects Johann Conrad Schlaun and François de Cuvilliés. Soon afterwards, François de Cuvilliés designed the Falkenlust hunting lodge to the southeast for Clemens August to practice falconry, and the lodge was built from 1729 to 1740]
The elaborate gardens surrounding the Augustusburg palace were designed by Dominique Girard. From after World War II until 1994, Augustusburg was used as a reception hall for guests of state by the German President.

+ The palace complex consists of the Augustusburg Palace and the smaller Falkenlust lodge roughly one mile to the southeast. Two orangeries adjoin the main building on the north and south sides. The magnificent main staircase was designed by Johann Balthasar Neumann and made of ornate marble, jasper and stucco. The main garden directly south of the Augustusburg Palace is a complex, embroidery-like parterre, with four fountains and a mirror pool, flanked by alleys lined with lime trees. A path runs diagonally south from this garden to the Falkenlust lodge, which was built in the style of a country home.