The residence was designed to be a showpiece of wealth and power and features 365 windows, one for each day of the year, 52 rooms, one for each week of the year, 12 chimneys, one for each month, and seven balconies, one for each day of the week.

The palace was one of the largest residences in the region. It was rumoured to have hosted an impressive array of guests in its halcyon days, including Napoleon Bonaparte and Frederick William IV, King of Prussia.

The palace continued to pass through noble hands until the Second World War, at which point its inhabitants fled the property in favour of safer accommodation elsewhere. When the war ended, the château was used as offices for the NKVD, the Soviet Secret Police.

The abandoned palaces of Europe will take your breath away