Fodor's Expert Review Schlossplatz

A huge area enclosed by royal palaces and planted gardens, the square has elegant arcades branching off to other stately plazas. The magnificent baroque Neues Schloss (New Palace), now occupied by Baden-Württemberg state government offices, dominates the square. Schlossplatz is the extension of the Königstrasse pedestrian shopping street, dotted with outdoor cafés in season. It borders the Schlossgarten (Palace Garden), which extends across Schillerstrasse all the way to Bad Canstatt on the Neckar River (where the annual Canstatter Volksvest, or Oktoberfest, is held). The adjoining parks also include an exhibition hall, planetarium, and the mineral hot springs that attracted the Romans.