Three blossoms, events and urban development: in 2025, the towns of Furth im Wald, Schärding, Baiersbronn and Freudenstadt will jointly host their respective garden shows. We present what will be on offer in the Bavarian Forest, Upper Austria and the Black Forest in 2025, what the respective garden shows are all about and which long-term projects have been implemented as part of them.
Three blossoms, events and urban development: in 2025, the towns of Furth im Wald, Schärding, Baiersbronn and Freudenstadt will jointly host their respective garden shows. We present what will be on offer in the Bavarian Forest, Upper Austria and the Black Forest in 2025, what the respective garden shows are all about and which long-term projects have been implemented as part of them.
Eight kilometers of garden show – the Baden-Württemberg Garden Show 2025 meanders along the course of the Forbach through its valley. The two Black Forest municipalities of Freudenstadt and Baiersbronn are jointly organizing the show under the motto “Diversity in the valley”. The towns form the respective start and end points of the garden show grounds, depending on where you start your visit. Opening on 23 May 2025, Valley X will offer visitors over 1,000 program items until 12 October 2025; more than 1,000 volunteers will contribute to the garden show.
The 2025 Garden Show in Valley X relies on public transport to get there: trains run to the stations in both cities at increased intervals and buses run along the site. The eight-kilometer-long site is also designed to be explored by bike; bikes can be rented on site. While the garden show ends in the fall, many of the measures will remain in place for local residents to enjoy.
Planstatt Senner is responsible for the planning and implementation of the permanent facilities. They developed numerous areas in the towns and along the valley. The newly designed areas take up the nature, culture and history of the region. South of Freudenstadt, near the Bärenschlössle, two tube slides wind their way down the steep slope. Instead of jumping down a ski jump as in the past, visitors now slide through two 30-metre-long tubes. In the enclosure next door, you can observe wildlife, learn new things on the forest animal nature trail and let off steam in the adventure playground.
Halfway between Freudenstadt and Baiersbronn lies the village of Friedrichstal on the course of the Forbach. The small red building of St. Michael’s Church stands on the edge of the village. Steps and platforms have been built around it, paths laid out around ponds and visual axes opened up. The “Xentrum” in Friedrichstal is the center of the Baden-Württemberg Garden Show 2025. The planners based the design of the mine playground there on the former Sophia mine not far away: a gate with a round arch opens into the artificially created play pit; above it rises the climbable winding tower.
In Baiersbronn, the former spa gardens have been transformed into a fairytale park. It translates the story “The Cold Heart” by Wilhelm Hauff into the park landscape. With Freudenstädter Straße, the planners transformed a main road into a promenade. It is now equipped with widened sidewalks, recreational areas and a green central reservation. The latter is intended to cool the surroundings. And a new pond has been created on the Schelklewiese meadow, which is also located in Baiersbronn. Another play area adjoins it. Numerous other areas have been redesigned and reconfigured. Along the Forbach stream, they create a link between Freudenstadt and Baiersbronn, the local history and the landscape of the Black Forest.
At the Bavarian State Horticultural Show 2025 in Furth im Wald, one thing is a must: the dragon. The tradition of the Further Drachenstich has existed in the small town in the Bavarian Forest for almost 500 years. UNESCO now includes the folk spectacle on its list of intangible cultural heritage. Every year in August, the open-air festival takes spectators back to the Middle Ages.
In the middle of the city, a play takes place with knightly wars, love stories and the fight against the dragon. The latter is represented by the world’s largest walking robot. This year, spectators can combine their visit to Furth im Wald with the State Garden Show. It opened its doors on May 22 and runs until October 5. The motto gives an idea of the relevance of the dragon tradition at the horticultural show: “Legendary experience”.
As part of the State Garden Show, the Berlin office Planorama redesigned two areas in Furth im Wald: one near the town center and the other the Chamb floodplain in the southeast of the town. The latter forms the area of the Landesgartenschau that is subject to admission. The elongated area of the Chamb floodplain follows the course of the river. Here, the planners combined and designed existing green spaces to create a continuous park with a new network of paths. The central element is the dragon footbridge, which runs through the entire park. This picks up on the local tradition of dragon engraving and its legend of the dragon. The concrete slabs and the railings of the walkway are in shades of red – in reference to the blood of the dragon. The curved railing made of steel slats varies in height along the footbridge and forms a sculptural shape.
At the confluence of the Kalter Pastritz and Chamb rivers on the site, the dragon footbridge forms a loop with three bridges. At several points in the park landscape, steps allow visitors to access the river. On Dragon Island near the loop, an open park arena with a domed wooden roof has been built on the former site of the old festival hall. Not far away, children can romp around on the dragon playground.
On the way from Chamb-Aue to the city center, you can take Lorenz-Zierl-Straße. This was redesigned as a one-way street with wider footpaths as part of the 2025 State Garden Show. The planners at Planorama redesigned the stream bed and the banks of the Kalte Pastritz along the street. Hofer Island is located at its northern end. A new park with an inclusive playground was created here on a former brewery site.
The area only became an island thanks to the reopened and redesigned course of the stream. The projects implemented for the State Garden Show in Furth im Wald bring the town and water back closer together. The local tradition of the dragon town is clearly reflected in the design.
The view sweeps across the Inn, water splashes in the Christophorus fountain. The flowerbeds are in full bloom, new paths run through the themed gardens. The extensive playground is empty, waiting for children to conquer the climbing frames. In a video – shown below – the Upper Austrian State Garden Show in Schärding 2025 gives an initial insight into what visitors can expect on site. The Austrian border town on the River Inn opened its state garden show on April 25, which will run until October 5 under the motto “Inns Grün”.
The baroque town of Schärding is located less than 15 kilometers south of Passau as the crow flies, on the banks of the Inn. Four areas spread across the town form the site of the State Garden Show: Schlosspark, Innlände, Orangeriepark and Grüntal. The Berlin office ST raum a., which won the competition for the State Garden Show, was responsible for planning the eleven-hectare area. The planners primarily developed existing green spaces in Schärding – most of which will remain in place beyond the duration of the State Garden Show.
The Schlosspark, located not far from the city center, is part of the area of the garden show that is subject to admission. In the park, which overlooks the River Inn, the network of paths has been extended. The colorful “Castle Tower” made of wood by Michael Lauss is one of the art objects of the garden show.
To the north of the castle park, the Granite Museum houses the changing floristry exhibitions. From both locations, visitors can follow the course of the river on the existing footpath along the Inn. The path links the areas of the garden shows and is equipped with seating, play equipment and alternating floor beds.
In the south-west of Schärding, the Orangery Park, Kurpark and Grüntal together form the second large area of the Landesgartenschau. A new granite fountain was built in the Orangery Park and the orchard meadow was revitalized. The Grüntal also has an open meadow landscape. This is complemented by a newly planted arboretum and a viewing platform in the natural area of the old Inn estuary. Children should be delighted with the meadow and water playground; these, as well as the two new fitness islands, will remain in place beyond the duration of the 2025 garden show. The newly planted dancing lime tree in the very south of the area will also continue to grow. The fairground, on the other hand, will be converted into a parking lot with trees after the show. Until then, however, the numerous events of the Upper Austrian State Garden Show 2025 will take place on the main stage.
A look back: You can find out which garden shows took place in 2024 here.
