Excursions & Culture

Set off once again on a journey of discovery through the world of the senses!

You’ll experience some amazing things at the 21 sensory stations in the Park of the Senses. At the partner swing, you can set your partner in motion as if by magic; at the sound fence, a familiar melody plays when you stroke it at the right tempo. Surprising things also happen at the stations where everything revolves around sight. Rotating circular shapes form a three-dimensional crater, and at the glass prism you’ll see the world in completely new colours. Even the sense of self takes on a new dimension. When you stand with a partner in front of the striped mirror, two faces suddenly become one!

A Nature and Sensory Experience in One

From the Park of the Senses, you have a lovely view of the Römerberg. In keeping with the theme, it is situated on a large grassy area. It is also ideal for a visit with children.

The Four Axes

The exhibits are arranged along continuous themes, each of which brings together related sensory experiences.

The Visual Axis

Sight is a particularly important sense, one that is usually unconscious at first. It is only through activation and alienation that we become aware of the process of seeing. The first five stations stimulate the eye’s inner activity. The final two stations, ‘Mirror Threshold’ and ‘Insight’, demonstrate that seeing and being seen are, at the same time, a form of performance.

Balance and the Sense of Touch

Balance and the sense of touch allow us to experience our own bodies in relation to the earth. The body’s senses provide fundamental experiences that are essential for the development of the physical self, and remain a challenge well into old age. Balancing and feeling with the feet play a key role in this. Both help to revitalise our connection to the earth.

Resonance and Hearing Axis

Listening requires inner stillness. Hearing is a social sense that only unfolds through interaction, resonance, listening, perception and understanding. The axis begins with the partner swing, which requires ‘listening to one another’, as two people on the swing depend on each other through the resonance of their interlinked movements. The following five acoustic stations allow visitors to experience how sound and air, as a shared medium, connect speakers and listeners.

The Self-Axis

In the centre of the Park of the Senses, the Self-Axis begins with four stations. These relate to the experience of one’s own individuality and that of others. How do we perceive the individuality of those we encounter in life? At the striped mirror, one sees one’s own face intermingled with parts of the other: one’s own self is partly similar to, and partly dissimilar from, the other. The sense of smell conveys the indivisible individuality of scent as a holistic experience. Walking the path through the labyrinth is a universal life experience. The Life and Death station recalls the polarities of life through which the human self gradually unfolds.

Origins

In 1967, the artist and educator Hugo Kükelhaus presented his ‘Stations for the Development of the Senses’ as part of the German contribution to the World Expo in Montreal. Following a touring exhibition that visited many European cities, ‘experience zones’ featuring reproductions and extensions of his exhibits were installed in various locations, including the Park of the Senses in Badenweiler.

Outdoor installations

Sound Column (Römerquelle)

Opposite the Town Hall, Luisenstr. 5:

A basalt column begins to vibrate when tapped. For best results, several people should rub the surface with damp hands. A strong, deep humming sound can be heard.

Water Whirlpool (Vitteler Square)

Gegenüber Parkhotel Eckerlin, Römerstr. 2:

When the water column is set in rotary motion by means of a crank, a vortex is created that extends from top to bottom. Air is drawn into the movement of the water, creating a lively interplay between water and air.

free to enter / always open

Schlossplatz 2
79410 Badenweiler
Phone +49 (0) 76 32-799-300
Fax +49 (0) 76 32-799-399
touristik@badenweiler.de

_{Source: markgraefler-land.com, Image: © Badenweiler Thermen und Touristik GmbH / © Schwarzwald Tourismus/ Fabian Müller}