Experience a weekend in Karlsruhe

Many sights are centrally located in Karlsruhe, so there is plenty to discover on a leisurely stroll through the city center. With a varied daytime and exciting evening program, an eventful stay in Karlsruhe is guaranteed. 

Exploring Karlsruhe in the morning

Start your day with a relaxed stroll along Kaiserstraße. It is still pleasantly empty here in the morning. In addition to numerous shopping opportunities, you will also find nice cafés in the small radial streets away from the shopping mile. If you follow one of the fan-shaped streets in a northerly direction, you will come directly to the castle, which houses the Baden State Museum. Marvel at the Badisches Landesmuseum's collection exhibition and climb the popular castle tower to admire the view of the city and the fan-shaped floor plan from a great height. The climb up the 42-metre-high castle tower is definitely not to be missed. After a visit to Karlsruhe Palace, you should definitely stop by the adjacent Botanical Gardens. Here you will find a place of tranquillity in the middle of the city.

Enjoy the culinary diversity of the fan-shaped city

After a visit to Karlsruhe Palace and a sporty climb up the palace tower, Karlsruhe city center beckons with a variety of culinary addresses. In just a few minutes, you can get from Schlossplatz back to Kaiserstraße, from where you can easily reach the Strahlenstraßen and the many restaurants located there.

An afternoon full of culture at the ZKM

Freshly invigorated after a relaxed lunch in one of the many restaurants in the city center, it's time for a visit to the ZKM | Center for Art and Media. The ZKM is a cultural institution that is unique in the world. With the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Media Museum and several institutes, it offers a wide range of opportunities for developing interdisciplinary projects and international collaborations. Explore the changing exhibitions on media art or immerse yourself in the zkm_gameplay. the next level exhibition on video game culture, which focuses on the development and significance of computer games as a leading medium for entire generations. Try your hand at arcade machines or discover the political computer game "Democracy Machine". Nature enthusiasts should also visit the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe, which is located on Friedrichplatz right in the city center and presents the state collection of natural history. A particular highlight of the exhibition is the vivarium with the largest coral reef in Germany.

A relaxed end to the day in Karlsruhe

You can also visit one of the many cultural highlights in Karlsruhe in the evening. From first-class performances at the Badisches Staatstheater, live music at the Tollhaus cultural center or an upscale boulevard stage at the Kammertheater , Karlsruhe has a wide range to offer. The many smaller theaters in the city center also offer almost daily performances ranging from cabaret to puppet theater.

If you are not drawn to a cultural event, it is also worth stopping by the restaurants, bars and bistros around Ludwigsplatz. There is always a lot going on here, especially in summer: bands and after-work parties are on the daily program.

Further excursion tips for your second day in Karlsruhe

After a restful night in one of Karlsruhe's many hotels, it's worth visiting the next excursion destination straight away: the zoological city garden in Karlsruhe. Start the day in a relaxed manner, strolling through the gardens and along the Stadtgartensee lake, you can watch giraffes, penguins, elephants and the like start their day as you pass by. From spring to fall, the landscape of the zoological Stadtgarten can also be enjoyed on a trip on the small Gondoletta boats across the Stadtgartensee. On colder days, a visit to the Exotic House is particularly worthwhile, where the temperature is always a pleasant 23 °C and around 100 exotic animal species invite you to explore the tropical animal world.

Enjoy the picturesque old town of Durlach and the view of Karlsruhe from the Turmberg

In the afternoon, you should definitely visit the Durlach district - often referred to as the "mother" of Karlsruhe, as it was originally the residence of the Margraves of Baden-Durlach before the seat of the court was moved to Karlsruhe in 1715. From the city center, it is a short streetcar ride to Durlach. Here you will find the picturesque market square, cozy half-timbered alleyways, the Karlsburg and the Schlossplatz, as well as parts of the preserved city wall - enjoy the old town charm of Durlach with a café and cake or simply stroll through the alleyways. If you want to enjoy a special view, you should dare to climb the Turmberg and enjoy a magnificent view over Durlach and the whole of Karlsruhe from the Turmberg terrace. If the 528 steps are too much of an effort for you, you can also take a pleasant ride on the Turmbergbahn - the oldest funicular railroad in Germany.

On the way back to Karlsruhe, you will pass the Alte Schlachthof site. As the name suggests, this is a former slaughterhouse site that is now a center for cultural and creative professionals. You can interrupt your tour here to explore the site and its history in more detail. Where there used to be a large cattle shed, a fat smelter and a cattle market, there are now music clubs, a start-up center and restaurants. 

A long weekend in Karlsruhe: tips for excursions into the countryside around Karlsruhe

If you plan to stay a little longer in Karlsruhe, you can also explore the surrounding area and the wonderful nature around Karlsruhe. A trip to the nearby Black Forest Central/North Nature Park is particularly recommended. Here you can enjoy the unique nature of the Black Forest on the well-signposted hiking trails and also visit the Oberwald animal park with its many animals such as elk, deer, Przewalski's horses and bison. The tour ends with a fantastic sunset at the Oberwaldsee lake.

However, if you prefer cycling and have enough time, you should take a tour on the NaturRADtour. On the almost 48 km long route, you can not only discover Karlsruhe and Durlach, but also admire the landscape along the nearby Rhine, as well as the Alb with its wonderful natural scenery.

As you can see, Karlsruhe also has a lot to offer nature lovers and is always worth a visit.