A family friendly trip to Ludwigsburg Palace Gardens
If you’re in the area, don’t miss the Gardens at the Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg.
In the centre of Ludqigsburg, just 5 minutes’ walk from the Marktplatz, is the Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg. It couldn’t be better placed for a day trip by train from Stuttgart or Heilbronn. Ludwigsburg Palace Gardens has something for every age from 1 – 100.
Ludwigsburg is a large town in Baden-Württemberg. It hosts a superb German Christmas market each year, the dramatic backdrop of the buildings around the Marktplatz accentuate that festive feeling.
Ludwigsburg boasts colourful and ornate architecture from the 18th century. And the pièce de résistance is Ludwigsburg Palace. The fairy tale gardens in the palace grounds make this a family friendly day out.
We’ve created a quick guide to Ludwigsburg Palace Gardens that cuts through to the important parts to help you plan a day out in Ludwigsburg.
Quick Facts about Blühendes Barock in Ludwigsburg
- 16 km from Stuttgart
- 30 minutes by S-Bahn from Stuttgart
- Located in the heart of Ludwigsburg, 5 minutes walk from the Marktplatz
- Open from mid-March to December
- Adult tickets are €11.50
- Children’s tickets are €5.50
- Tickets for the palace are sold separately
- The gardens were reconstructed in 1954 for the palace’s 250th anniversary.
- The Baroque gardens cover 30 hectares
- There are 9 themed gardens including a Rose Garden and Bonsai Garden
History of Ludwigsburg Palace Gardens
There are over 12,000 rose bushes and 1500 potted plants at the Ludwigsburg Palace Gardens Show, also known as Blooming Baroque, so what’s so special about this garden show?
Blooming Baroque was founded in 1954, but construction of the estate and palace began in 1704. Its nickname “Versailles of Swabia”, paints a illustrative picture of the palace.
Guided tours give us a peek into the lives and times of the families that resided there. Baroque, Roccoco and Neoclassical architecture comfortably sit aside one another, with the fussy complementing simple elegance.
Once you’ve seen one palace, you might be thinking you’ve seen them all. But that, my friend, is where you’re wrong. What sets this palace apart from the rest is what’s on the outside?
The gardens.
And there’s no sign of Capability Brown here.
The Gardens at the Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg
Are the gardens really worth visiting? Absolutely. With 42000+ season tickets sold per year, there must be something that makes the visitors return.
Along with 9 themed gardens including Sardinian and Japanese Gardens, this spaces also includes centuries-old original features such as the baroque style terraces reconfigured in the 1800s, as well as replica features like the noon canon used to mark midday.
What really sets this garden apart and makes it child-friendly is the Fairy Tale Garden. This part of the garden is made up of over 40 fairy tale scenes that have stayed true to the original concept from 1959.
The primitive design of the fairy tale scenes raise nostalgic memories for adults. And young children are delighted by these stories brought to life. Scenes include Aladdin, Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel.
Jump aboard the Fairy Tale Express for a ride around on a mini train which is sometimes pulled by a mini steam engine. And don’t forget to take a boat ride on the Fairy Tale Stream, there’s a few characters that can only be seen from the stream!
The best events at Blooming Baroque
The palace gardens host regular events throughout the season, here’s our top pick:
- Pumpkin Festival held in the autumn. Murals and statues constructed from pumpkins of all colours and sizes. All supported by the pumpkin shop selling all sorts of pumpkin specialities to buy and try.
- Musical Fireworks hosted at the beginning of July, this sees the park turned into an illuminated wonderland of colour, the highlight is at 10:30pm when a firework display is set to music. Who doesn’t love a musical firework display?!
- The International Street Music Festival happens around the end of May or beginning of June. Street musicians from all over come together to entertain the masses in the palace gardens. The website is linked if you want to check out the musicians.
For more information about tickets, pricing and the lay of the land...
General info and details of events and exhibitions at the Blooming Baroque garden show at the Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg can be found on the website.
For more ideas of day trips from Stuttgart, check out our post on our favourite vineyards in Baden-Württemberg.
Have you been to the Ludwigsburg Palace Garden show? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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