Picture of the tower on the Turmberg against a blue sky and surrounded by green trees

Mountain

Tower mountain

Turmberg Karlsruhe Durlach, Reichardtstraße 22, 76227 Karlsruhe

The Turmberg is the local mountain of the former Baden royal seat of Durlach. It is 256 meters high and the north-westernmost peak of the Black Forest at the transition between the low mountain range and the hilly landscape of Kraichgau.

The Turmberg is a popular excursion destination and can be reached via various routes. The mountain can be climbed via the "Hexenstäffele", a stairway that leads directly from Durlach to the Turmberg in 536 steps. Several beautiful hiking trails invite you to take a walk. A large playground and the forest rope park, which was completed in 2010, complete the offer.

Tower mountain terrace

From the top, there is a wonderful view of the Rhine plain and the urban area of Durlach and Karlsruhe. Visitors can enjoy the best view from the Turmberg terrace, which was redesigned in 2015 for the city's birthday. The viewing platform was awarded the Hugo Häring Prize by the Association of German Architects in 2017 for being particularly successful.

Tower mountain ruin

The Turmberg takes its name from an old tower from the late Staufer period. During excavations, the foundations of a tower even 200 years older were found right next to it. These are the remains of the "castrum Gretzingen", i.e. the castle of Grötzingen. The Pfinzgaugrafen from the Hohenberg family had their seat here in the 11th and 12th centuries and exercised sovereign rights on behalf of the Salian kings. The residential tower was one of the earliest noble hilltop castles in south-western Germany, which testifies to the self-confidence of the owners. Between 1230 and 1250, the old residential tower was demolished and a slimmer keep integrated into the surrounding wall was built instead.

Today's 28-metre-high tower is characterized by the robust and defensive humpback ashlars, which are typical of the Staufer period and are neatly studded at the edges. The new rulers in the 13th century, the Margraves of Baden, initially still occasionally officiated at the castle, which was now called "castrum Durlach". However, after it was conquered several times in the 1270s, they increasingly preferred the town of Durlach, where they built a low castle. When Margrave Charles II moved his residence there in 1556 and had Karlsburg Castle built, the old castle was only used as a watchtower. With the help of a 13-metre-high pillar, a platform was added for the installation of an alarm cannon.

The tower on Durlach's Turmberg has been reopened since June 13, 2025.

From April 16 to October 14, it can be visited from 07:00 to 20:00
. From October 15 to April 15, the opening hours are from 09:00 to 16:00.