The Old Hunting Palace (Altes Jagdschloss) from the 16th century was extended during the reign of Carl Theodor (1742-1799) into a princely summer residence and given a sumptuous garden. The building owners were Nicolas de Pigage (1723-1796) who, by the way, also designed the Karlstor in Heidelberg, and Friedrich Ludwig von Skell (1750-1823) who became famous beyond the borders of Schwetzingen.
Under the direction of Pigage, the Roccoco theatre, the garden with its sculpture program, the Apollo temple with Belvedere, the bath house, Temple of Botanics, the Roman water castel with aqueduct, Chinese bridge, the Mercury and Minerva temples and the mosque. When Pigage died in 1796, he had been chief architect reponsible for the Schwetzingen Palace Garden for more than half a century. His successor was von Skell who was also chief architect in Munich.
The Schwetzingen Castle Garden is among the most important gardens of European horticulture − the heyday of the castle garden was under the influence of the Prince-elector Carl Theodor of the Palatinate.
Guided tours, special guided tours − also for children and adolescents − are offered during the entire year and acquaint the visitors with the numerous buildings and sculptures in the history of the building and development of the castle garden. The garden museum in the southern quarter-circle building (Zirkelbau) ist opened the whole year − here you can experience the building history of the garden.
Schwetzingen invites its visitors to come back. If it is raining heavily or if the ground is very wet, walking in the garden with a rollator or wheelchair is not really recommended; however, this would be the only reason to advise against visiting the castle garden.
We also recommend the castle café and the restaurants near the entrance of the castle.
Suitable for all ages between 6−99
It will take around 30 minutes to get there from Heidelberg (ca. 15 km)
The tour is suitable for wheelchair users after good weather; rain makes the pathes unsuitable.
