The lapidarium is one of the quirkiest attractions in Stuttgart.
When we decided to visit the Stuttgart Lapidarium, I felt like I should know what a “lapidarium” was. But I confess that I didn’t before reading about it. According to Wikipedia, a lapidarium is:
“a place where stone monuments and fragments of archeological interest are exhibited.”
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Visiting The Lapidarium in Stuttgart
The lapidarium in Stuttgart has 200 such monuments. Ranging from sculptures to remnants of buildings destroyed in the bombings of WWII. Despite this, I was surprised to find that the lapidarium was an idyllic place based on an Italian Renaissance Garden. The monuments were displayed in an open-air museum, on Karlshöhe as part of a park. There were lots of trees and birds chirping.
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In many ways, the lapidarium reminded me of Rubble Mountain. A place where the rubble from the buildings that were destroyed during WWII literally formed mountains.
I was in awe of how both attractions (the lapidarium and my favorite attraction in Stuttgart). How they managed to bring alive the historic and architectural elements of Stuttgart. It bring to life elements that were largely destroyed in the WWII bombings.
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As a result of the bombings, and perhaps not surprisingly many statues were missing pieces:
But perhaps it’s better to be missing part of a leg than what this one was missing:
One Of My Favourite Artifacts
One of my favorite artifacts in the lapidarium was this door and window:
The artifact above dates back to the mid-1300s. And it is from an old stone house – as indicated by the sign on the left. I loved the signage of the monuments displaying the age of the monument. And sometimes even the building it came from, or the significance of the monument. The signs really helped bring the monuments to live.
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Events In The Stuttgart Lapidarium
Concerts and literature events are also sometimes held in the lapidarium. I think it would be a unique venue for such an event. So I’m keeping my eyes open for an interesting event.
Our visit to the lapidarium, only lasted about 30 minutes. But I really enjoyed it. Admission is free. After that, we headed up the stairs on the east side of the lapidarium. Further up Karlshöhe to the Beer Garden where traditional Swabian food is served.
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Not to mention it has one of the best views of Stuttgart:
I would highly recommend a trip to the lapidarium and the beer garden on the hill above it (Tschechen & Söhne) in Stuttgart. The lapidarium is such a quirky attraction. Yet it really brings some of Stuttgart’s history alive in such an interesting setting.
And I think at least one trip to a traditional German beer garden should be on every visitor’s list. All in all, an interesting way to spend a couple of hours in Stuttgart.
Where Is The Stuttgart Lapidarium?
The lapidarium is located at Mörikestraße 24/1. It is only open between May-Sept on Wed-Sat from 2 – 6 and on Sunday from 11 – 6. Admission is by donation. For more info see the official site at Städtisches Lapidarium (in German only, but you can translate the page).
Where To Stay in Stuttgart
5-Star
Althoff Hotel am Schlossgarten is located at the Schlossgarten Park in central Stuttgart. The hotel offers 2 restaurants, a daily breakfast buffet and a spacious terrace that guests can enjoy. The rooms are spacious and offer traditional decor as well as wifi and chic modern bathrooms. Many of the rooms offer views of the gardens and vineyards. The hotel also offers rental bicycles.
4-Star
Kronenhotel is located on a quiet road near the Stuttgart pedestrian area. The hotel offers guests a sauna, a steam bath, and a daily gourmet breakfast buffet. It offers modern, spacious rooms that are comfortable as well as free wifi. Guests can also enjoy relaxing on the garden terrace or have a drink in the lobby bar.
3-Star
Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof is just 200m away from the Stuttgart Central Station and offers free wifi. The hotel offers guests a 24-hour bar as well as free wifi and comfortable rooms. Guests can enjoy bright rooms that have floor-to-ceiling windows and granite bathrooms. There is a daily breakfast buffet available in the Lounge, which offers cozy furniture and a good atmosphere.