Residence Palace, a distinctly Baroque cityscape and a wide range of museums give Ludwigsburg its varied cultural character. The palace has 452 rooms and is one of Europe’s largest palaces to have survived in its original form. When planning your visit, the question is therefore less about choosing a single focus and more about which subjects interest you most: palace rooms, ceramic art, local history or gardens.
Palace rooms and guided tours
Standard guided tours of Residence Palace show a selection of its most important rooms. The rooms included may vary from tour to tour. The classic family tour presents the history in a playful way, making it an enjoyable experience for children and adults alike. The tours mainly differ in whether you are looking for a general introduction to important palace rooms or a playful way to explore history.
Ceramics and cultural history
Residence Palace is also home to the Ceramics Museum. Spanning around 2,000 square metres, it showcases Ludwigsburg porcelain and ceramic art, from medieval stoneware to 20th-century studio pottery. Highlights include a study collection of 2,000 pieces of Ludwigsburg porcelain. The exhibition thus spans far more than a single type of ceramics, while the study collection offers an extensive selection of Ludwigsburg porcelain.
The Museum of Art and Cultural History of the City of Ludwigsburg and Württemberg features a permanent exhibition as well as changing special exhibitions on subjects from the past and present. Alongside ceramics, visitors can explore changing themes in art and cultural history.
Baroque cityscape and historic buildings
Ludwigsburg’s Baroque cityscape is characterised by wide, straight streets that intersect at right angles, as well as two-storey townhouses in soft pastel colours. In the historic centre, the arcaded market square and its two Baroque churches dominate the scene. You can discover Baroque design not only at Residence Palace, but also throughout the cityscape and around the market square.
The six historic gatehouses formed part of the former city walls and are now used as museums, archives and exhibition spaces. With its original stage machinery, the Ludwigsburg Palace Theatre is one of the oldest surviving theatres of its kind. These places offer further insights into the city’s history, from its former walls to its preserved theatre technology.
Gardens, fairy tales and seasonal experiences
Blühendes Barock is a year-round garden exhibition surrounding Residence Palace. The North Garden and South Garden offer particularly lovely views of the palace. The Fairy Tale Garden features more than 50 lovingly created fairy tales. A boat trip along the Fairy Tale Stream is included in the admission price for Blühendes Barock.
The Sardinian Garden has an aviary with flamingos and storks. Blühendes Barock also hosts an annual pumpkin exhibition, with dates that vary by season. If the exhibition is important to your trip, check the current dates in advance. The gardens around the palace offer a variety of settings alongside the architecture, collections and local history.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Hoheneck, Sachsenheim, Walheim, Kornwestheim, Besigheim, Eberdingen, Bönnigheim, Gemmrigheim.
Return to the main travel overview: Ludwigsburg.
