Schwetzingen Palace & Gardens
Schloss Schwetzingen
Summer palace of the Palatine Electors, blending French and English gardens. The red mosque in the garden is one of a kind.
Schwetzingen Palace lies about 12 km west of Heidelberg and was the summer residence of the Electors Palatine. The palace itself is fairly modest; the highlight is the garden of roughly 72 hectares, with Baroque French-style circular flower beds, an English landscape garden, and garden buildings including the “Mosque,” the Temple of Apollo and the Roman Water Castle. The 18th-century Turkish-style mosque is the earliest mosque building in Germany. Garden admission is about €7, and a separate ticket is needed for a guided palace tour. From Heidelberg, the S-Bahn takes about 15 minutes.
Opening hours
Gardens approx. 09:00–19:30 (until 16:30 in winter)
Nearby sights
- Heidelberg Zoo
- Neckarwiese
- Philosophers' Walk
- Kurpfälzisches Museum
- Peterskirche
- Heidelberg University Library
- Hauptstrasse
- Heidelberg Christmas Market