Ludwigsburg Palace

Built from 1704 as a hunting lodge and extended into a residence with eighteen buildings and four hundred and fifty-two rooms, Ludwigsburg is among the largest baroque palace complexes in Europe still standing in its original form; it was never bombed or burned, so the interiors survive with original fittings across baroque, rococo and neoclassical phases. The court theatre of 1758 keeps its wooden stage machinery in working order, one of the oldest such systems anywhere. In the gardens, the Märchengarten presents scenes from German fairy tales with animated figures, and separate museums cover ceramics, fashion and the palace's porcelain manufactory.

What you actually see

• The undamaged interiors - original fittings across three style phases.
• The 1758 theatre - working wooden stage machinery of the period.
• The Märchengarten - fairy tale scenes with animated figures in the garden.
• The garden layout - the Blooming Baroque grounds around the palace.

When to go

April to October for the gardens, which close for winter while the palace stays open on guided tours. The pumpkin exhibition runs in autumn.

Honest expectations

Palace interiors are seen only on guided tours at set times. Gardens are ticketed separately and closed in winter. The complex is very large.

Nearby

Stuttgart lies south; the Neckar runs east.