For the 30th time, a state garden show is being held in Baden-Württemberg, this time in Wangen. The town in the Allgäu region goes far beyond seas of flowers: it shows how an old industrial district can be brought back to life.
The State Garden Show in Wangen will open its doors from April 26 to October 6, 2024. Credits: State Garden Show Wangen im Allgäu 2024
The State Garden Show in Wangen im Allgäu opened on April 26, 2024. Over 100,000 visitors were already on site after 16 days, the highest number of visitors to a state garden show in the last ten years. Managing Director Karl-Eugen Ebertshäuser explains this record on the one hand by the high number of guests with season tickets and on the other hand by the good weather at the end of April and beginning of May. The organization team has set a target of 600,000 visitors.
It is possible to visit the Wangen State Garden Show until October 6. The site covers 46 hectares, six hectares of which comprise the new ERBA and Auwiesen districts. The revitalization of the River Argen is a highlight of the Wangen State Garden Show, as is the revitalization of the ERBA industrial district, the new parks and numerous sports and exercise facilities and playgrounds. There will also be show gardens, flower shows, an observation tower and a total of 2,000 events.
Wangen as a tourist destination
The opening ceremony took place on the Sparkasse cultural stage in the ERBA. It was open to the public and began at 11 am. Local celebrities from culture and politics as well as many Wangen talents were on hand to celebrate the fact that the show could now begin after a good 14 years of planning. Visitors are encouraged to arrive by bike or public transport. A free Landesgartenschau shuttle bus runs every 20 minutes from the train station to the various entrances.
Wangen hopes that the State Garden Show will not only revitalize the town, but also increase tourism in the Allgäu region. In cooperation with the town of Rottweil, which will host a state garden show in 2028, and with the support of many municipalities in the surrounding area, Wangen shows why a trip to the Allgäu is worthwhile.
As “the longest summer festival in the Allgäu”, the Wangen State Garden Show also offers over 2,000 events. These include rock concerts, pop, classical and hip-hop music, readings, specialist lectures on gardening topics, sports activities such as dance and yoga, themed days and educational activities such as the Green Classroom. Admission to the State Garden Show is free for children up to the age of 14, while a day ticket costs 19 euros for adults.
Children's playgrounds, such as this one based around the theme of water, will make Wangen more attractive in future and allow the river to be experienced.
Bringing water back to life in the city
The city has achieved a great deal in terms of urban development, having breathed new life into an old industrial site as part of the Wangen State Garden Show. The ERBA site, a former weaving and spinning mill, has been transformed into apartments for around 1,500 people as well as around 500 workplaces and cultural spaces. Several hundred people have already moved in, with the new buildings being built using sustainable construction methods. A new indoor riding arena, a climbing tower and a sports park offer sporting attractions. And a municipal kindergarten is being built in the meadows next to the ERBA site.
The second important revitalization programme of the Wangen State Garden Show focuses on the River Argen, which flows into Lake Constance. As part of the preparatory work, it has been given more space for natural development. It now connects the medieval town center of Wangen with the State Garden Show and the new residential quarters on the ERBA site. Five new bridges support the connection, which is also visible in the logo of the Wangen State Garden Show.
The revitalized Obere Argen and the Argenpark as a green ribbon with access to the river make it possible to experience the water in the city again. Along the banks of the river, there are new parks with blooming landscapes and lots of opportunities for play, exercise and recreation. These also include adventure playgrounds and a wooden observation tower, which offers a view over the entire garden show area and, in good weather, even as far as the Alps.
The Munich-based firm lohrer-hochrein landschaftsarchitekten und stadtplaner GmbH together with Löhle und Neubauer Architekten from Augsburg have won the competition to plan and implement the Wangen State Garden Show.
Florist spinning mill
The textile history of Wangen dates back to the Middle Ages and includes horsehair spinning mills, for example. The ERBA weaving and spinning mill ceased operations in 1992. The lush seas of flowers at the 2024 State Horticultural Show will be a reference to the textile industry. Like colorful ribbons, they stretch across the grounds and are reminiscent of the patterns and threads of the ERBA weaving mill. A total of twelve flower exhibitions will take place in the cotton warehouse. Regional and national florists will come together under the title “Floristenspinnerei”.
When Wangen was awarded the contract for the 2024 State Garden Show in 2010, preparations began immediately. In order to implement goals such as the diversity of use in the ERBA/Auwiesen area, the strengthening of residential use and making the Obere Argen a tangible experience, the Ministry for Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, together with the town, launched an EU-wide, open landscape architecture and urban planning competition. The contract was awarded in 2014 to the Munich-based firm lohrer-hochrein landschaftsarchitekten und stadtplaner GmbH together with Löhle und Neubauer Architekten from Augsburg, who have been implementing the plans ever since.
Colorful floral ribbons are reminiscent of the patterns and threads of the former ERBA weaving mill in Wangen.
Garden shows as sustainable urban development measures
The State Garden Show in Wangen is already the 30th State Garden Show in Baden-Württemberg. The major event will take place for 164 days. It is sponsored by the state program “Nature in Town and Country”, which promotes and supports the design of green and open spaces in garden show towns in Baden-Württemberg. The central funding program is also interested in promoting the social component, for example by creating a culture of participation. Garden show towns are also intended to improve the urban climate and make an important contribution to biodiversity. For cities like Wangen, garden shows are a once-in-a-century event that is duly celebrated.
“Garden shows are not a flash in the pan for six months, but sustainable urban development measures. Wangen has made excellent use of this great opportunity with the realization of an exemplary state garden show and will benefit from it for a long time to come,” said Minister for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Peter Hauk. The state of Baden-Württemberg is represented with a forestry pavilion and the “Cantilever” pavilion for the timber construction offensive. The federal state will be demonstrating the diverse tasks of its forests and how they are preserved as climate protectors, suppliers of raw materials and habitats.
Read more: An overview of the three garden shows in 2024 can be found here.