Schwetzingen Off The Beaten Path

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The former stables, now converted into shops and apartments, are situated in Carl-Theodor-Straße. The wing along the street was begun in 1750, the other three wings round the square inner courtyard were finished ten years later. After a fire in 1927 the back wing was not rebuilt.

Above the gateway you see the coat of arms of Elector Carl Theodor von der Pfalz.

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The funny group of applauding claqueurs, which all look alike, is put up on a street corner opposite of the town hall and the catholic church. Interprete this the way you like...

The bronze sculpture was created by Guido Messer in the 1980s.

Footnote: I just found on Nemorino's Pforzheim page that there is a more or less identical sculpture near the theater in Pforzheim.

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The bronze sculpture in Schlossplatz is a monument to this region's famous vegetable: white asparagus. The area around Mannheim, Schwetzingen, Heidelberg, Bruchsal with its sandy soils is one of Germany's big producers of asparagus.

The asparagus season starts in April, depending on the weather, and ends on St John Baptist, June 24. After midsummer the shoots must be allowed to grow out and create leaves, otherwise the plant will die.
Asparagus season is celebrated as some kind of cult. All restaurants offer special asparagus dishes. Every club or group will organize a "Spargelessen" at a restaurant, a social event that mainly involves, well, eating asparagus.
(I have to admit that I cannot stand asparagus, feeding it to me is a total waste. Evading these gatherings sometimes isn't easy...)

Note the cute doggie!

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The catholic church of St Pankratius was built in 1736-1738 and enlarged in 1763-1765. It substituted the medieval parish church which had been destroyed in the 30 Year War and just poorly repaired afterwards.

The town hall is situated opposite of the catholic church, corner Hebelstraße/Zeyherstraße. I do not know an exact date when it was built, but according to the style it must be between 1805/10 and 1830. It shows the typical classicist style the construction administration in the state of Baden used for all public buildings in those times.

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The centre of this little town has some hidden, though not spectacular, beauties to discover. If your feet allow after a long excursion through the palace gardens, check out the side streets in town, too. Or have a rest in one of the many outdoor cafes.

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Just by chance we came by this wonderful little exhibition, which is housed between the Orangerie and the East Wing of the palace. In 3 rooms you can find work equipment from former times - all of them things that were used in the palace and palace gardens.

The warden was so happy that finally two people came to visit - and even liked it (actually we LOVED it!!). He was so frustrated, because he feels this little exhibition is definitely neglected!! His theory is that it reminds people too much of work and so they don't want to deal with it!!!

The exhibition rooms are open on

Tuesdays, Sundays and Holidays 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The House of the Ceramics is located on the side of the open theatre. This small room is completely covered of ceramics representative Flemish landscapes.

The protestant (Calvinist) church was built in 1756. In the late 19th century it was enlarged, and a new steeple and facade were added in neo-baroque style.