BAROQUE GARDENS

Court Garden with Orangery

A venue for everyone

The Court Garden is a Baroque garden that lies to the north of the Residence. Once a kitchen garden to supply the monastery, today the Court Garden is a popular venue and idyllic spot for recreation right at the heart of the town.

Thanks to its central location in the town, the Court Garden is a meeting place for locals as well as visitors. The gardens offer peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the pedestrian zone that’s just a few metres away. Families come here for picnics, friends meet up for a casual drink in the sun, students to bury their heads in their books, and budding influencers for a selfie in the perfect scenery. In the summer the Court Garden and its lawns are also a popular spot for sports activities, so don’t be surprised if you meet a group of sports enthusiasts with a coach in lederhosen or see yoga mats being rolled out around you.

From kitchen garden to recreation

When the construction of the Basilica of St Lorenz and Residence were planned in 1651, the outside area was also taken into consideration. Baroque gardens with fruit trees and vegetable patches were planted and fish ponds dug out to supply the kitchen with food products. Later on, the Court Garden was turned into a park with ornamental plants together with an Orangery.

As time went on and society became more secular, the military moved into the Residence and the Court Garden was used as drill ground with barracks and riding halls. Once the military moved to two new barracks, the Residence and the Court Garden became less important for a while. The grounds were brought back to life when the town of Kempten took over as lessee and organised the "Allgäuer Festwoche" there once a year.

People on a guided tour in the Hofgarten

These days the Court Garden as a green space is incredibly popular, not least because of the seasonal planting, lawns and its central location. Only the terraces at various levels and the water basins remind us of their original use.

Worth seeing in the Court Garden

The Orangery is located at the north end of the Court Garden in Kempten. It was built in 1780 by Prince Abbot Honorius Roth von Schreckenstein in a Late-Baroque style with classical shapes and was home to delicate plants. Once the monastery Kempten was dissolved in 1803, the Orangery became private property. In 1915 a private plane crashed into the west wing, and in 1923 the Orangery was sold to the town of Kempten. After having served as asylum for the homeless, as an officers’ mess and as a youth hostel, the Orangery was turned into the town library in 1963. A fire in 1966 largely destroyed the Late-Rococo mouldings, but the reading hall with its ceiling vault is still worth a visit.

The centre of the Court Garden is the 300-year-old Robinia, a silent witness of changing times. This tree was planted around 1740 at the prominent border from the upper to the lower Court Garden and has watched over the area ever since. It is the oldest tree there and its trunk now has an impressive circumference of four metres. The gnarled trunk is very striking in its appearance and apart from that there are several further features to mark the Robinia: Being only seven metres in height, it appears rather small compared to the chestnut trees that surround it. Its butterfly-like buds open up between May and June and its leaves are round- to egg-shaped.

ON THE MOVE IN KEMPTEN

Arrival, parking & public transport

You will find all the important information and notes on your journey to Kempten, on-site parking, public transport and mobility in Kempten and the Allgäu on the respective pages.

arrival parking public transport

More parks in Kempten

Apart from the Court Garden there are plenty more parks and green spaces in Kempten, inviting visitors to take a stroll, relax and enjoy life away from the noise of the town.