Muskau Park

Muskau Park is a landscape park in the Upper Lusatia region of Germany and Poland. It is the largest and one of the most famous English gardens in Central Europe, stretching along both sides of the German–Polish border on the Lusatian Neisse. The park was laid out from 1815 onwards at the behest of Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, centered on his Schloss Muskau residence.In July 2004, Muskau Park was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.OverviewThe park covers 3.5km2 of land in Poland and 2.1km2 in Germany. It extends on both sides of the Neisse, which constitutes the border between the countries. The 17.9km2 buffer zone around the park encompassed the German town Bad Muskau in the West and Polish Łęknica (Wjeska, former Lugknitz) in the East. While Muskau Castle is situated west of the river, the heart of the park is the partially wooded raised areas on the east bank called The Park on Terraces. In 2003 a pedestrian bridge spanning the Neisse was rebuilt to connect both parts.On July 2, 2004, UNESCO added the park to its World Heritage List, as an exemplary example of cross-border cultural collaboration between Poland and Germany. It was added to the list on two criteria: for breaking new ground in terms of development towards the ideal man-made landscape, and for its influence on the development of landscape architecture as a discipline. The park also stands as one of Poland's official Historic Monuments (pomnik historii), as designated May 1, 2004, and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland.