Karlsruhe: City and Region
Karlsruhe is one of the 30 largest cities in Germany and is one of the top 2 warmest cities. Baroque and classical architecture characterize the cityscape. Karlsruhe is a very safe city and is also called the "Residence of Law". It is a very lively city with numerous students.
Technology Region
Karlsruhe and the vicinity are a hotspot for the newest technology trends. Several major companies, such as Bosch, Siemens, Daimler, and Michelin, have production facilities in the region. Major research institutions, such as the KIT, make the innovative potential of this city and region renown worldwide.
Many events highlight this important role of Karlsruhe and with such networks as Cyberforum you can advance in your career path in many different ways.
Find out more about Karlsruhe as a Technology Region.
Leisure and Culture
Karlsruhe is the greenest city in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Visitors as well as residents of Karlsruhe enjoy the plenty public parks in the city. The botanical gardens and the beautiful park behind Karlsruhe castle, for instance, offer a perfect location to relax.
Have an exciting day in Karlsruhe
Residents and visitors have many different opportunities to spend a great day or night in Karlsruhe. How about a round of laser tag, go-kart, or bowling for an exciting day with friends?
Or maybe you want to stay awake the whole night?
Find more recreational tips in Karlsruhe here.
Media and Art in Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe is home of various theaters, museums, and galleries. For a great day with family, what about showing them the cultural side of the first German Creative City of Media Arts with a visit at the internationally renown Center for Art and Media (Zentrum für Kultur und Medien = ZKM), a unique cross-media museum with changing installation from world-famous artists. The Museum of Natural History, or the Baden State Theatre are only a few examples. As a tip: Fridays starting at 2 pm the entrance of some museums is free.
Moreover, always an eyecatcher – the yearly Light Show at the Karlsruhe Palace. Do not miss out!
Discover Karlsruhe's Districts
Karlsruhe is formed by 27 city districts. Some of them are even older than the city itself. What we like and notice is that each district has its own history and is unique.
For an amazing view over the city for example, take a trip to the Turmberg in the Durlach district. There you can take the rope train to go to the top of the hill and see Karlsruhe from the bird’s eye perspective – always worth a trip. It’s especially recommendable to do so at sunset, the view is truly breath-taking. Afterwards you can enjoy a nice drink and a tasty Elsasser Flammkuchen at the “Anders” restaurant.
Public Transportation
Karlsruhe has an excellent public transport network with tramlines going to most destinations. For prices and more information, see the KVV website. International airports like Frankfurt International Airport, Stuttgart Airport, or Baden Airport can be reached via public transport of Deutsche Bahn within one hour.
More information about how to reach Karlsruhe can be found here.
Bicycles, Cars, Scooters
If you want to get around quickly, get yourself a bike! You have several options:
- You can buy a new bike – or a used one for much less. A good stop for that is the ad website ebay or quoka.
- Another way is to rent a bike – for example with a subscription to the Dutch startup Swapfiets or KVV nextbike (This is free for students, after verification, 20min!).
- If you need a bike just on some occasions, then it is worth looking into the rent service “Call a Bike” of the Deutsche Bahn. You will find the red bikes all around the city and especially on hotspots and after a short registration process you can pedal off.
- The electric scooter services like VOI have gain a noticeable following – in the city you see people using the compact and fast scooters all the time.
- Sometimes you just need a car, maybe for a travel or for moving. If it is so, then check out Stadtmobil for shorter distances or Carlundcarla if you need a moving truck
Every Day is Perfect for Shopping
Do you need a new pair of shoes, a sound system or just groceries? There are several locations in and around Karlsruhe and we present some of them for you to choose from:
- ECE center: the biggest shopping center in Karlsruhe with many shops, businesses and even a supermarket
- Postgalerie at Europaplatz: very similar to the ECE center, also a hotspot for many different food stalls and stores
- Kaiserstraße: the main artery of Karlsruhe, the street is brimming with life and houses countless little stores and cafes.
- Outletcenter Roppenheim or Zweibrücken: if you’re willing to take a short day trip, pay a visit to the outlet villages located near Karlsruhe; there you’ll find various famous brands for much lower than usual.
- Karlsruhe weekly markets are quite famous and absolutely worth a visit: there you’ll get freshest local produce and groceries like cheese, meat, wine, honey, vegetables and fruits. Visit the city website to see when the weekly market is and where – the location depends on the day. But especially the market behind the Postgalerie (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) or at the Gutenbergplatz in the historic Karlsruhe Weststadt on a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday are worth your time.
Lakes for Swimming and Spas
If you are looking for some refreshment in summer, then plan a visit to one of the numerous lakes around Karlsruhe. But be mindful – not every lake you see allows bathing, so check out the website before jumping in. Are you looking for fun slides, adventurous climbing parcours and an impressive sauna world? Then check out Europabad Karlsruhe. Especially in summer the Rheinstrandbad is a must go! You can enjoy the wave pool, do a flip from the diving platform or enjoy a game of table tennis or mini golf. If you are looking for a more refined atmosphere, check out the abundant hot springs you’ll find in the region, for example the Vierortbad in the heart of Karlsruhe or the famous Caracalla thermal bath in Baden-Baden.
Surrounding Area
Not only Karlsruhe itself is a city rich in variety and activities – through its exceptional location amidst the famous Black Forest on the border to France, you have countless beautiful places to choose from when planning a weekend trip.
If you are planning a day trip, how about visiting one of the neighbouring cities? You can stroll through the historic downtown of Heidelberg, stop at the charming Luisenpark in Mannheim, visit the Mercedes Benz factory in Stuttgart or take in all the time-marked beauty of the thousand years old Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg.
Apps
Ankommen App: Helpful app for more information about starting life in Germany.
DB Navigator App: Book contactless tickets and receive the latest updates about your journey with the Deutsche Bahn (= DB, the national railway company of Germany).
NINA Warning App: The federal emergency information and messaging app ("Notfall-Informations- und Nachrichten-App" = NINA) provides you with important civil protection warnings for various hazardous situations, such as the spread of hazardous substances or fire. Weather warnings from the German Weather Service and flood information from the responsible authorities in the federal states are also integrated into the warning app.
ZKM Culture App: Discover the applications that have been developed at the ZKM.
In order to download the Apps it might be necessary for you to change your app store location to Germany.