A stroll in the fresh air amid scenic views rarely fails to lift one’s spirits. Following my exploration of Stuttgart’s Schlossgarten and Max-Eyth-Lake under blue skies, a journey to the elevated outskirts of Stuttgart-West helped elevate our moods on this overcast day, when my aunt and uncle kindly offered to take me sightseeing to another popular destination.
Schloss Solitude (Solitude Palace)
Hazy view of the road connecting Solitude to the Palace in Ludwigsburg
Many years earlier, I had biked to Schloss Solitude (Solitude Palace) on Stuttgart’s extensive multi-use trails through the widespread forest, but I appreciated the opportunity to re-visit this picturesque Rococo palace, commissioned by Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg, and constructed between 1763 and 1769. On a weekday in late November, no tours were offered and we could only admire the edifice’s elegant exterior, but we also enjoyed the vistas from the palace’s prominent perch. A straight road was built to connect this hunting retreat with the duke’s residence at the Palace of Ludwigsburg 8 miles to the north, which he preferred to the New Palace in downtown Stuttgart. This avenue still exists today and bears the apt appellation “Solitudeallee” (Solitude Boulevard).
Bärenschlössle (Bear Chateau)
The namesake bear
Bärensee (Bear Lake)
Not far from the ducal domicile, we proceeded to another popular locale, the Bärenschlössle (Bear Chateau) and Bärensee (Bear Lake), in an area known as Glemswald (Glems Forest). It is home to additional lakes and several game preserves, but these will have to wait for a future trip. As we ambled through the woods where most trees had already shed the bulk of their leafy canopy, growths of a different nature were evident.
A movement in the green grass of a meadow attracted our attention and, its excellent camouflage notwithstanding, we were rewarded with the discovery of a beautiful bird that appeared to have no objections to prolonged scrutiny by my binoculars and protracted photography by my camera. The perfect avian icing on the perfect autumnal cake.
European Green Woodpecker. The red crown is well seen.
Click here for the German version/klicken Sie bitte hier für die deutsche Version:
https://tanjaschimmel.wordpress.com/2018/04/21/stuttgarts-grune-seiten-teil-3/
tanja britton 
I always enjoy reading your travel stories. I hope you have more posts to write about your visit to Germany. I would love to visit Germany one day, but for the moment I love living vicariously through you!
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Thank you for allowing me to be your tour guide, Nirmala. 🙂
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I really enjoy this post. I love your descriptions and photos. -Jill
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Thank you, Jill, I appreciate your company along the way. 😊
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Stunning building architecture and I love the coloring of the European Green Woodpecker, nice!
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Thank you, Donna. He is a striking bird!
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How beautiful!
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It really was. Thank you for traveling along!
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Beautiful place. It seems to be a very quiet place.
I like the Green Woodpecker very much even if I don’t see it too often.
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Thank you, Cornell. I feel the same way as you about the woodpecker, especially since I only get to see it whenever I visit Europe, and even then, there are no guarantees.
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Looks great 🙂
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It was, thank you much!
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Maybe I just been away from countries and pork too long but that tree looks like it has bacon growing on it. Or maybe I’m hungry…
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Really? The thought had never crossed my mind. Maybe you are hungry! 🙂
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According to Wikipedia, the name Stuttgart developed from “the Old High German word Stuotgarten, or ‘stud farm’, because the city was founded in 950 AD by Duke Liudolf of Swabia to breed warhorses.”
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You are a veritable walking dictionary, Steve! 🙂
Thank your for this fascinating history. I did not know this, and think most residents of Stuttgart do not know this either.
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I’d guessed correctly about the gart but had no idea what the first part of the name might mean. I wasn’t familiar, till I looked for a German translation of English stud after reading the Wikipedia article, with the German noun Gestüt, which according to Google Translate means ‘stud, stud farm.’
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Beautiful pictures, Tanja! I’m not sure how I feel telling you that I actually enjoy the fungi-laden tree photos better than the woodpecker. (Please don’t tell my birdie friends.) But he is shockingly gorgeous nonetheless.
I would really love to get to Germany one day. Only been to Frankfort, and inside the airport waiting for a changeover doesn’t really count.
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I also love the color and texture of those fungi, Shannon. There is such a variety, and I know nothing about them. But they are very photogenic.
I hope you will make it past the airport in Frankfurt one of those days. So many places to visit, so little time (money!).
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I long for the time — and money — to explore my country: EARTH.
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