The Schwetzingen Palace Gardens are a real gem of European garden design. This magnificent park forms the centrepiece of the princely summer residence and was created within thirty years under the guidance of Prince Elector Carl Theodor, his architect, Nicolas de Pigage, and his court gardener, Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell. Two concepts of garden design, the French one and the English one, are intertwined here, resulting in a unique artistic achievement. The many different forms of interplay between garden design, architecture, sculpture and craftwork make the Schwetzingen Palace Gardens one of the best preserved garden creations of the eighteenth century.