Wilhelma Botanical Garden

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Photo by Donna Dawson

Wilhelma is not a zoo in the generally accepted sense of the word – it’s the only zoological botanical gardens in Europe. And with its combination of plants, animals and historic buildings unique worldwide. A visit here is a visit for everyone…

 Today‟s Wilhelma Park belongs to the historical heritage of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The park has undergone a transition from being the purely private retreat of a king to become a zoological and botanical gardens of Stuttgart. Originally planned as private gardens, the park, with buildings in the Moorish style, was intended to serve the Swabian king, Kind Wilhelm I, as living quarters and also to be used for representative purposes. In those times, in the middle of the 19th century, Moorish architecture had come into fashion amongst the royal families of Europe. The king therefore “ordered“ a Moorish park from his architect, Karl Ludwig Zanth. It was to bear the name “Wilhelma“. The most outstanding example of Moorish architecture, even in those days, was the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. And so Wilhelma is also known as the Alhambra on the R. Neckar.

Written by  Donna Dawson.

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