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Sometimes we look for the key to happiness without realising that it is already in the lock.
As a result of his father’s death Baron Süsskind was forced to end his travelling years as a consultant in St. Gallen, Munich and Brussels. In 1989 he returned home to the family castle in Southern Germany.
The farm had been leased out on a long term basis, so there was very little to do for an energetic thirty-five year old. However, once he had re-established his roots, he decided that he would like to plant something...
He transformed the orchard into a magnificent garden (the Private Garden), before embarking a completely new venture - the Rhododendron Park. Baron Süsskind had discovered a passion for the rhododendron, a passion that continues to develop and mature, and is perhaps unique in modern-day Germany.
Whilst not uncommon for the 18th century nobility to invest a huge amount of money, time and effort into their gardens, today projects of this scale are only undertaken by national trusts and public institutions.
Baron Süsskind has created a new park with its own inimitable style, opposed to public garden administrators, who restore historical gardens according to original blueprints.
No fancy PR campaigns, simple word of mouth advertising has made the Castle Park a popular tourist attraction. What you see in Dennenlohe today is the result of almost 20 years work. Every single item has been planted by the Süsskinds personally.
The achievements of Baron and Baroness Süsskind, by virtue of their personal dedication and boundless creativity, - and a passion that sometimes borders on obsession - are unrivaled in Germany.
In 1999 the Park opened its gates for the first time to the public, welcoming thousands of visitors on the first day.
Since 2003 the Rhododendron Park has been open daily to visitors from April until the end of October. It is mentioned regularly in international gardening publications and has been the setting for several German television series.