Culture and joie de vivre in the heart of Europe
Karlsruhe, also known as the “Gateway to the Black Forest”, lies in one of the most beautiful regions in the heart of Europe and is the ideal place to start tours through Germany, France, and Switzerland. As an important traffic junction, the city is linked to all the major European highways and rail routes. Karlsruhe is only an hour from Frankfurt international airport by Intercity Express (ICE) and less than two hours from EuroAirport Basel.
KARLSRUHE – a model for WASHINGTON, D. C.
Over 300,000 people live in this modern hub of business and technology which, was created entirely from scratch: Margrave Karl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach had the plans for a new royal residence drawn up in 1715. A palace complex was built in the middle of a wilderness, from it emanating 32 avenues like rays of the sun.
This unique city architecture is a characteristic feature of Karlsruhe to this day and the reason why it is also known as the “Fächerstadt” (fan-shaped city). The later US president Thomas Jefferson was so taken by this design that he sketched the layout of the city and sent it to the municipal architect Pierre L’Enfant, who was inspired by it to create the layout of Washington, D.C.
Nature and urban flair in harmony
Urban flair and a magnificent natural landscape merge into one in Karlsruhe. On the one hand, the busy shopping streets and southern Germany’s largest shopping mall provide sheer endless opportunities to indulge in shopping. Only a few minutes away, the city’s green oases invite you take a relaxing stroll through more than 800 hectares of public parks and the zoological gardens.
Cultural highlights and culinary specialities
Culture enthusiasts will certainly get their money’s worth in Karlsruhe with its rich landscape of museums such as the Baden State Museum in the former royal residence, the State Art Gallery with its impressive collection, and the natural history museum and its fascinating vivarium. An experience of a special kind awaits visitors in the ZKM | Centre for Art and Media, the German equivalent of “Centre Pompidou”: The world’s first interactive museum invites you to take an active part and marvel! For all those who enjoy good cuisine, Karlsruhe is also well worth a journey of culinary discovery. The much-acclaimed Baden cuisine offers numerous locally-made specialities and is characterised by high quality and the choice of regional ingredients. The proximity to France is not only noticeable in the local cuisine but also in the outstanding wines.
Many attendees are traveling with a companion. The attractive and wide range of offers in the city of Karlsruhe, combining cultural events, guided tours, sightseeing and excursions to nearby destinations can be found here:
The only combined tram-train system of its kind in the world
Karlsruhe is pointing the way forward in public transport: the globally-acclaimed pioneering feat of lifting the barrier between tramways and the conventional railway was accomplished here in 1992 with a new type of urban train. The tram/train network whisks travellers directly from Karlsruhe to places like the Black Forest and its wealth of nature and the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden with its famous casino.
(source: www.karlsruhe-tourismus.de)