Cycling trip to the Rhine

Around the castle garden 

Karlsruhe Castle was founded in 1715 by Margrave Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach in the middle of the Hardtwald forest. Legend has it that he fell asleep under a tree here and had the idea of founding the city in a dream. The palace garden in its present form was laid out in 1967 for the Federal Garden Show. The palace garden is no longer as peaceful as it was in Karl's day. It is a popular meeting place for the people of Karlsruhe. Even in the early morning, the Karlsruhe Palace Gardens are very busy in good weather. In addition to numerous cyclists, many people also come here for their morning exercise. This takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the summer months. 

From the palace gardens, follow the blue ray in the direction of Majolika, a ceramics factory that unfortunately had to close at the beginning of 2025. The ray of 1645 ceramic tiles has been in place since 2000 and marks the former axis that led to the castle park wall and from there on to the State Majolica Manufactory. 

Halfway along the route, you pass one of the many Heldbock oaks in the Karlsruhe city area. Karlsruhe is one of the few remaining habitats in the whole of Baden-Württemberg for the Heldbock, the beetle with the largest external dimensions in Germany. This is a source of great pride in Karlsruhe and is well known among experts throughout the region, as intensive control efforts have almost eradicated the hero beetle, which used to be considered a wood pest. With a bit of luck and a good eye, you can even spot a few longhorn beetles yourself.

The old airfield and Knielingen

If you follow the route further, you will find the old airfield between Schlossplatz and the Rhine, a former military airfield that is now a nature reserve in the middle of the city. These days, such areas have become very valuable, as nature reserves in outdoor areas are often affected by pesticides from agriculture and therefore not every animal and plant species can survive there. Many insects and bird species and often donkeys can be found at the old airfield. The donkeys live on the site and ensure a clear view through diligent grazing.

At the edge of the airfield, you finally cross the colorful "Kurt-Schumacher-Straße" train stop, which is well worth seeing.

At the other end of Knielingen, the surrounding area is already characterized by agriculture. Mirabelle plum trees grow next to the cycle path, which also bear edible fruit at the right time of year.

You then follow the course of the B10 towards the Rhine. You also cross Karlsruhe's smaller river - the Alb - shortly before it flows into the Rhine.

Arrival at the Rhine

Now you finally reach the destination of the tour - the Rhine. From here, you can cycle onto the Rhine embankment. Here you can enjoy a wonderful view over the river and the passing ships.

If you continue on, you come to Knielinger See, a gravel dredging lake. It has been part of the "Burgau" nature reserve since 1989 and is supplied with fresh water from the Rhine port via a canal. However, it is not suitable for swimming. On its eastern side is the Rhine Park with the Maxau farm. Here you can treat yourself to fresh produce and meat from the farm's own grazing cattle. If you just want a snack, you can get one at the Stammhäusle. The view of the Rhine comes free of charge. 

A little further on, you reach the last stop on the journey, which can already be seen on the horizon, the Rhine port with the coal-fired power station. Here you can follow the unloading of coal from large ships at close quarters and admire the Rhine port steam power plant 8 from up close. There are six harbor basins covering around 300 hectares, which look like the fingers of a hand when viewed from the air. The port is one of the most important inland ports in Germany. The MS Karlsruhe passenger ship also departs from here. 

The NaturRADtour as orientation

The route from the city center to the Rhine is not far and well worth a trip. You can roughly follow stages 1 to 4 of the NaturRADtour, which is well signposted and particularly family-friendly. There are also a few places to stop for refreshments along the route, and there is even a playground at Hofgut Maxau where you can watch horses and cows grazing.