Yes, you read that right and it's not click-bait! Okay, maybe only 50%...I actually saw a huge Pikachu, but it was made of pumpkins ^^ Pumpkins left, pumpkins right, I was at the 20th "supposedly" world's largest pumpkin exhibition in the Blühenden Barock.
The Blooming Baroque is a garden complex around the residence palace in Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and every year in autumn "The world's largest pumpkin exhibition" takes place here. This exhibition exists since the year 2000 and takes place from September to November. Since the exhibition is located on the grounds of the Blooming Baroque, you pay the normal entrance fee for it. As a severely handicapped person you pay 8€ and the accompanying person is free of charge with the right identification.
At this point I have to interrupt my chronological narration and point out that due to the wheelchair I did not look at the fairytale garden (a part of the garden complex). It seemed very steep from the outside. In general, there are some areas on the site that are only partially wheelchair accessible, as there were large inclinations. Thus, my company was quite exhausted after the excursion. If you have the possibility to visit the exhibition with an electric wheelchair, then do that in any case. Otherwise I can only advise you to take a strong companion with you.
Fabulous fairytale world
The theme for this year's exhibition was "Fabulous Fairytale World" and therefore included quite a few cool figures. I don't know if it was due to our Asian genes, but we first spent hours taking pictures in front of the "normal" scenery. Because even if you don't see the pumpkin figures yet, there were hundreds of pumpkins all over the area. But you really have to walk along a street within the site to get to the first pumpkin figures.
When pumpkins form figures!
Wow, the first sculptures were impressive! It looks totally amazing because there were lots of pumpkins in the scene. The pumpkin figures have a basic structure made of wood and straw and are decorated with various pumpkins. Of course, you could also buy pumpkins and various pumpkin products on the site. From pumpkin tarte flambée to pumpkin burger and the typical pumpkin seeds, one could get to know the pumpkin in its most different facets culinarily xD
Everywhere just pumpkins
Of course, you could buy some pumpkins as well besides the food. Be it for consumption or as decoration, there were all kinds of pumpkins. And if you didn't want to see pumpkin figures or buy pumpkins, you could take part in one of the events. You can watch the events, but you can also take part in them. So there is a huge pumpkin variety show, a pumpkin weighing - where of course the heaviest pumpkin wins, and even a pumpkin boat regatta. Yes, you read correctly, you can use pumpkins as boats and then paddle against each other xD I personally couldn't see this spectacle today because it took place on a different date.
On the homepage of the pumpkin exhibition you can find out which activities take place on which days! And you can download the "Roadmap for handicapped visitors" here! Had I known this earlier xD As already mentioned, you will encounter a lot of inclines, but according to the plan this is unfortunately unavoidable >.<
Have you ever heard of this or any other pumpkin show? Feel free to leave me a comment =)
Things I learned:
1) In Ludwigsburg there is a pumpkin exhibition every year
2) The site is not completely barrier-free
3) On the Internet you can find a "Road map for handicapped visitors"
4) Here’s the link to the homepage: https://www.blueba.de/en/pumpkin-exhibition.html
