Seckenheim: Planken, Castle and Water Tower

Seckenheim has a historic townscape with striking buildings and a distinctive tobacco-growing history. Different chapters unfold at the Seckenheimer Planken, the water tower and the castle; on race days, horse racing at the Waldrennbahn adds another attraction. The town offers plenty to explore for a stay combining architecture, local history and a specific event experience.

Planken, Townscape and Tobacco History

The historic Seckenheimer Planken square is bordered by a former town hall, built in the Baroque style with an arcaded passage. Today, the upper floor houses a library. The building brings together its former function as a town hall and its present-day use. Seckenheim’s preserved village-center buildings are also part of its character: they have been protected as an ensemble since 1982. This protection draws attention to the buildings as a whole, rather than to just one house.

Tobacco growing is another facet of the town’s history. Tobacco has been grown in Seckenheim since the end of the Thirty Years’ War, and this cash crop has always generated substantial profits. The town’s architecture and tobacco trade thus tell different stories about its past.

Water Tower, Castle and Church of the Redeemer

Seckenheim’s water tower was built in 1911 in the Art Nouveau style and is the youngest of the more than 20 surviving water towers in Mannheim. The tower houses a private elevator museum with a panoramic elevator. The collection includes numerous elevator components dating from the early 20th century onward, most of which are still functional. This building brings together architecture and the history of technology in several forms: in the tower’s Art Nouveau design, the panoramic elevator and the collection’s historic components.

Seckenheim Castle was built between 1767 and 1769 as a summer residence for the Electoral Palatinate family of electors. The Church of the Redeemer is a three-aisled building with a central tower rising 65 meters high. The castle and church offer architectural contrasts to the Art Nouveau water tower: here, the focus is on the history of an electoral summer residence and the form of a three-aisled church.

Race Days and Practical Planning

At the Waldrennbahn in Mannheim-Seckenheim, visitors can experience horse racing up close on race days and enjoy a family-friendly atmosphere. As race dates may vary, check the schedule if you’re planning to include a race in your trip.

Seckenheim has nextbike stations at the town hall, the water tower and the OEG railway station. Check current availability before planning to use one. These locations provide specific reference points for planning a possible bike rental, without requiring you to follow a particular itinerary.

When choosing accommodation, one simple question can help you decide: do you want your trip to focus mainly on architectural history and the townscape, or would you like to plan a visit on a race day?

Mannheim as an Additional Cultural Setting

In the wider destination of Mannheim, the Mannheim Water Tower adds its own historic character. It was built in 1889 by Stuttgart architect Gustav Halmhuber, who also worked on the construction of the Reichstag building in Berlin. The Mannheim Water Tower is 60 meters high, has a diameter of 19 meters and holds 2,000 cubic meters of water. At dusk, the brightly lit water displays around the tower create a special atmosphere. Together with Seckenheim’s water tower, built in 1911, it offers a clear comparison between two structures: one is part of Mannheim’s urban history, while the other is an Art Nouveau building in Seckenheim.

The TECHNOSEUM in Mannheim also adds a focus on the history of technology and society to this wider cultural setting. The museum presents 200 years of technological and social history, offers interactive stations on science and technology, and combines information with an interactive journey through time. Its offerings are for schools as well as children, young people and adults; they include a Robo-Contest and an Escape Room. At the TECHNOclubs, children and young people can build marble runs with loops, experiment with 3D printers or make lipstick. Club activities and formats may change, so check the current program before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Rheinau, Friedrichsfeld and Mannheim.

Back to the main travel overview: Mannheim.