Traveling Tramps: Urban – Garden – Nature: Landesgartenschau Ellwangen

LGS Ellwangen 2026 GmbH

Landesgartenschau Ellwangen – either annually or every two years every "Bundesland" (state) in Germany hosts a "Landesgartenschau" (LGS) in addition to a nation-wide Bundesgartenschau (every two years, too).

This year the LGS in Baden-Württemberg takes place in Ellwangen, near Aalen, in Swabia. For us, living in Augsburg, it's the nearest one to attend since the one in Bavaria was unexpectedly cancelled. The one in Ellwangen was well worth the slow (2.5 hours one way) train trip with our Deutschlandticket and we had a wonderful visit there on one of the first days for weeks it had cooled down.

On 26 ha or 64 acres a huge park (photo below) in several sections was planned and planted along the river Jagst (right photo). Main long-lasting success in any case will be the re-naturalization of the river, which was before, as so many rivers in Germany, straight and constricted. Now it's meandering through the garden show area, equipped with trails and a city beach. Most importantly, it now profits from a much larger biodiversity.

The garden show consists of three large areas:

1. Urbaner Brückenpark - for leisure, play and sports, with a Youth & Cultural Center

2. Stadtpark - gastronomy, stage

3. Auenpark, observation point, demonstration gardens, information boothes.

„Ellwangen an die Jagst“ is an important step forward for the city with its approx. 26,000 population. The re-naturalization and the planning of the garden show helped to transform the whole city and provides new green spaces not only for the duration of the show, but permanently. relais Landschaftsarchitekten Heck Mommsen Berlin were responsible for the design, and did a great job by combining nature with urban life and development. Alluvial forest, vast meadows, instructive nature learning stations, play and sports areas and new accesses to the river were created. There is a newly designed modern campground (photo below) and an already popular city beach with water access (nearby the previously existing "Wellenbad" - a public fun bath).

Historic downtown is directly connected to the green nature area and the melting of city and nature is unique. During the garden show special exhibitions during are being offered in addition, e.g. in the former Benedictan monastery or in the City Hall. On the now-fenced-in, later for large parts public area, there are flower beds and meadows, several playgrounds (photo above, center), open-air stages (for concerts), gastronomy (above), information booths of different organisations, cities and regions, instructive markers, signs and video stations, and much more.

Information on bee-keeping, insect-friendly gardens, climate-friendly plantings, permaculture (as the "Schlüssellochbeet" on the left photo) are of great value. A local flour mill delivers useful info on grain and flour and there are info boothes of several gardening associations and garden design companies and nurseries.

Especially interesting: seven exemplatory gardens (below) were constructed to show visitors what's possible even on a small space with a low budget, but with a bit of creativity. Also, the special group of "gravesite gardeners" (Friedhofsgärtner) show "Erinnerungsgärten" - highly creatively designed places for the beloved dead (photo furthest below).

Personally, as a passionate gardener, I would have loved some more "botany", some more info about fauna, plant varieties, combinations etc., but nowadays the priorities are different. And, of course, in times of climate change, it is important to educate people about the value of green spaces in general and how to plant and water reasonably and environmentally consciously.

The exhibition „Garden Futures – Designing with Nature“ (photos below), which we visited as well, is only one of about 2.000 events in total, organized by the garden show. This exhibition takes place in the City Hall and was developed by the famous Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. History, present time and future of garden culture and gardening is a topic here, as well as different projects are explaining how gardening and upcoming challenges like climate change and growing urbanisation can be dealt with. Below an interesting section about the history and development of garden furniture and further below a drawing about different types of green spaces in different situations.

Another fascinating "side attraction" was the "Blumenschau" during our visit. This flower show takes place in the historic courtyard of the former Benedictan monastery (750-1460) with the Basilica St. Vitus. For two weeks the (changing) topic was "Platz für Fantasie" (room for fantasy) and the bouquets and arrangements shown were very lovely, very detailed and creative floral art at its best!