In 1637, Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, had a gorgeous garden laid out about 800 metres from the castle island on which you can find the state museum of Schleswig-Holstein, Gottorf Castle.

The garden was first referred to as "das neue Werk" meaning 'the new work' which incidentally is where the street "Neuwerk" near the Schloss obtained its name. The Baroque garden was the first terraced garden in the Italian style in central Europe.

Court gardener Johannes Clodius was entrusted with designing the garden, which consisted initially of the Hercules pond, a ground-level parterre with an octagonal pavilion at its centre and a raised garden terrace.

In 2005, the garden has been restored using historical plans and descriptions and is now the most popular among visitors who enjoy the colourful flowerage and the fantastic atmosphere. Archaeological investigations of the area provided supplementary information substantiated in the historic sources, and also illuminated the garden’s long decline in the 18th and 19th centuries. The baroque garden of Gottorf Castle can also be discovered with an audio guide. There are 18 stations at which the visitor can learn something about the construction of the garden, its moving history and vegetation.