Among the treasures of Schwetzingen Palace are a mosque with Moorish-style domes, a picturesque mock ruin, a bath house in marble and a splendid Apollo temple.
The arts-loving Elector Palatine Carl Theodor extended and
transformed his ancestors' hunting castle into a luxurious summer
residence, a 'mini Versailles' in the Palatinate. Schwetzingen's most
striking architectural feature – and the only example in Europe – are
the Zirkel: a pair of single-storey, semi-circular buildings added to
the palace on either side. The northern section of the Zirkel contains a
charming, rococo-style, 500-seat theatre, built for the Elector as a
promoter of the arts. This is one of Germany's few 18th-century court
theatres to have survived in its original state . It is still the venue
for operas during the Schwetzingen Festival. A semi-circle of arbours
was added to the Zirkel to form a complete circle and provide a perfect
backdrop for glittering events that spill out into the surrounding park.
Distinguished architects and landscape designers of the time created a
prestigious masterpiece of baroque landscape gardening here. Foremost
among them was Nicolas de Pigage, who entered the service of the Elector
in 1749. The Frenchman built an orangery, the court theatre and all the
park's architectural features. The strictly symmetrical baroque garden
with its flowerbeds, geometric clipped hedges, 'outdoor cabinets' and
various fountains was also designed by him. Visitors are continually
accompanied by the gentle babbling of the streams, cascades and
fountains as they stroll around the grounds, which give way to an
English-style country park. Even as distinguished a guest as Voltaire,
the French writer and philosopher, was impressed by the beauty of
Schwetzingen's illusory surroundings. Nearby attractions: the 'Fantastic
Road' joins the dots between the prettiest towns and cities in
Baden-Württemberg. Schwetzingen Palace is also a stop along the German
Castle Route, which links more than 70 castles and historical palaces.
Also close by is Speyer Cathedral, Europe's biggest Romanesque church and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981.
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