In the middle of the Upper Palace Garden lies the large Square Pond (Eckensee). Around the perimeter of the garden stand the Art Gallery (Kunstgebäude) seen from the side, diagonally opposite it the Playhouse (Schauspielhaus) and the Opera, the two most important of the town’s theatres, the Baden-Württemberg State Parliament and the north facade of the New Palace (Neues Schloss). As you begin your walk around the pond you can admire the 12 statues of Venus which caused a considerable scandal when they were erected in 1854.