A Hedgehog in the Pig Shelf: My Visit to the World's Largest Pig Museum!
Hello, dear and adventurous ones!
It's me again, Little Viki, your favorite, little, travel-loving hedgehog! And what can I tell you? My latest adventure was simply... pig-tastic (saugut - literally 'sow-good', great)!
On August 10, 2025 – mark this historic date, teehee – my travel group whisked me away into the exciting world of curly tails: We were at the Pig Museum in Stuttgart! Yes, you heard right, an entire museum, just for our pink friends! Me, a hedgehog, amidst over 50,000 exhibits on the theme of pigs. I was easily the prickliest guest in the whole place!
The building was impressive even from the outside, an old, stylish administration building of the former slaughterhouse. But the real wonder began inside. I had to hold on tight as we climbed the creaking, old staircase. For my short hedgehog legs, it was like a small mountain hike! With every creak, I thought: "The Pig Heaven awaits at the top!"
The First Floor: A Sea of Luck and Bacon
As soon as we arrived on the first floor, my breath was taken away – not because the air was thin, but because there were simply pigs everywhere! Everywhere stood small cabinets and huge display cases, packed full of pig figures made from every conceivable material and on every imaginable theme.
They say there are over 50,000 exhibits! Just imagine that! I'm quite a good counter when it comes to cookies, but counting all these little pigs? Impossible! It would have taken me days, and my Mom probably would have put me in one of the display cases because she thought I was part of the decoration.
I crept cautiously through the aisles and saw the most incredible things:
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Pigs on Vacation: In one display case, I found a whole horde of pigs lazily lying on the beach. With sunglasses and a little parasol! I wondered if they also got sand in their bristles, like I sometimes get sand between my spines.
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Noble Pigs: Then there were the very chic specimens, made of beautiful, shiny glass or great, polished stones. They looked so elegant you would have wanted to take them to a party.
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The Cuddle Corner: My Mom discovered an entire section with plush pigs! From tiny to gigantic – everything a stuffed animal heart desires was there. Of course, I had to lie down among them for a bit to see if I'd be well-received in a pig herd. They accepted me – hedgehogs must be good luck charms too!
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The Little Piglets: Naturally, there were also the very naughty pigs. The ones that, according to my Mom, get up to little "piggy mischief" (Schweinereien - literally "pig things," meaning misdeeds/messing around). She quickly waved me off and said I was far too young for those topics. Well, too bad, but I was already totally busy with the well-behaved pigs.
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Pig Art: The walls were lined with pig paintings. Some were totally funny and colorful, others were quite serious and almost historical. Who would have thought that pigs were such muses for artists?
The Collector's Fever and the Time Travel
The treasure hunt continued, and I was nearly jumping out of my little hedgehog skin with delight.
The section with the piggy banks was absolutely amazing! Hundreds, if not thousands, of plump, small ceramic bellies stood there in neat rows. Red, green, striped, with flowers, with hats – just crazy! Of course, I had to ask my travel group: "Imagine if they were all full! That would be a huge fortune! We could travel the world and only eat cookies every day!"
And then came a find that particularly pleased me: Thimbles with pig motifs! My Mom explained to me that thimbles used to be totally important and hardly anyone sews anymore today. But these small specimens were so cute and detailed. So small and delicate, I almost fit inside! I am rather small and delicate too, you know.
But the coolest thing were the Prehistoric Pigs! I actually found a "Pig-o-saurus Rex"! Okay, it wasn't really called that, but there were really large, prehistoric pigs to see. Who would have thought that pigs were already roaming around with the dinosaurs? That practically makes them ancient adventurers, just like me!
Of Cooking Pots and the Chinese Zodiac
The next section was dedicated to kitchen utensils, specifically ones that all had something to do with pigs. I'm telling you, it was a haul! Plates, pots, bowls, salt shakers – everything in the shape of a pig or with a pig motif. I just looked at my Mom in disbelief: "If we had all that in our kitchen, it would be completely full! There would be no room left for my cookie stash! And that's absolutely unacceptable, because a hedgehog without cookies is like an adventure without a backpack!"
Finally, we came to the fascinating Chinese Exhibition. There, everything revolved around the Year of the Pig in the Chinese Calendar. I learned that you can find a suitable pig for every birthday or date of birth and that this year has very special meanings. Those born in the Year of the Pig are said to be particularly honest, generous, and peaceful. That fits perfectly!
Conclusion of My Pig Adventure
My visit to Stuttgart was simply "sow-ly" fantastic! (saumäßig toll - literally 'sow-terribly great,' meaning extremely good). It showed me that pigs are not just cute animals, but real good luck charms, cultural assets, and even historical figures. As a little hedgehog, I was overwhelmed by this huge collection. It's great to see so many different creatures that are loved and collected all over the world – even if they don't have spines.
I learned an incredible amount, and now I'm already super excited about where our next adventure will take us. Maybe to a cookie museum? Or is there a hedgehog museum somewhere that I don't know about yet?
Your prickly good luck charm, Little Viki.
P.S.: Stuttgart was great! But now I wonder: Is there a place somewhere in this world that has as many carrot sculptures as this museum has pigs? Now *that* would be a hedgehog-appropriate sight! Should we look for that next?
