7 Best Things To Do In Karlsruhe, Germany

1. Karlsruhe Palace -the major icon for Karlsruhe

1/3 Karlsruhe Castle July 09 c66

2/3 KarlsruhePalace

3/3 Karlsruhe town centre air

The Karlsruhe Palace (German: Karlsruher Schloss) was built in 1715 as the residence of Margrave Karl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach. It is now a museum which is open to public, known to the locals as Badisches Landesmuseum. The impressive palace stands in the center of the city, where the 32 roads radiate out to form the rest of Karlsruhe. The building itself is in a semi circular outlook with a fountain in the center. A garden is towards the back of the palace, well kept with many trees. The Badisches Landesmuseum presents to the visitors the history of the palace, how it was constructed and the background of the construction and its architecture style. The historical and cultural museum has a library and research center for researchers or academics who wish to obtain more historical information in their studies. The palace tower offers a panoramic view of the city of Karlsruhe. It is a breathtaking moment to spend some time up in the tower.
The palace restaurant offers local and also Mediterranean cuisines for the visitors to have their meals or just have a simple coffee break.
It is easy to get to the palace. Simply take the tram from Central Train Station and get off at “Marktplatz.” Check with the tram driver on the directions.

Karlsruhe Palace

Address: Schlossbezirk 10, 76131, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Website: Official Website

2. Naturkundemuseum Karlsruhe - Natural History Museum

1/3 Karlsruhe - Museum fur NaturKunde 1

2/3 Inostrancevia alexandri

3/3 Pterois antennata 02

A scientific institution that collects the historical records of animals and plants, the Naturkundemuseum Karlsruhe has both permanent and temporary collections, which change periodically to touch on different topics of natural science. It is one of the largest natural science museums in Germany, with about 4,000 square meters of display space. Visitors come here to learn about living sciences. Well liked by children, this museum serves as a good educational outing with the family. Renowned research projects are also carried out here with international scientists, as the museum holds vast exhibits and information. The museum also promotes science education by organizing school tours and activities within the museum grounds. This museum is therefore not just a tourist attraction but also a great place for educational and important science research purposes.
The museum also holds a library with books dating back to the 18th century. The exhibits in the museum do not just include pictures of animals or specimens of the bodies of animals and plants. There are also live animals inside, mainly insects and marine life in the aquarium. Located inside a large building with beautiful gardens surrounding, the outdoor portion of the museum is also a great place to walk around during summer and spring. Most visitors with children enjoy their days out here as it is both educational and recreational.

Naturkundemuseum

Address: Erbprinzenstr. 13, 76133, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Website: Official Website

3. ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe - modernity of Karlsruhe

The ZKM was opened in 1989 in a former munitions factory. Focusing on the field of new media and arts, ZKM organizes many special exhibitions and events and also carries out research projects and programs based on this arena. There are also public and specialized education programs on arts and media held in this center.
Armed with two museums, three research institutions, a media center and a laboratory as well as a handful of events spaces, ZKM is truly a place with creative possibilities, between the traditional arts and media technologies for the purposes of achieving innovative results. In short, ZKM gathers creativity and the love of arts in one place! The two museums: ZKM Media Museum and ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art are the main highlights of this place.
The ZKM Media Museum mainly deals with the evolution of modern media and its usage. There is plenty of interaction between the visitors and the installations in this museum and at times visitors become part of the contributions of artwork in the museum.
The ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art is located in Atria 1 and 2 of the factory. It displays works from private collections and temporary art collections are also exhibited based on different themes throughout the year.
The ZKM has many events, which the general public and arts practitioners can take part in and get to know more about contemporary art. The building itself has a library and a restaurant.

ZKM

Address: Lorenzstr. 19, 76135, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Website: Official Homepage

4. Karlsruhe Zoo - touch of nature

1/3 Exotenhaus im ehemaligen Tullabad im Karlsruher Zoo 8

2/3 Stadtgarten Zoo Portal Karlsruhe September 2011

3/3 Streichelzoo im Zoo Karlsruhe - panoramio

This is one of the oldest zoos in Germany. Started off as only a poultry breeding society, the zoo eventually became what it is today. The flora and fauna in the zoo comprise an impressive collection of nature, stretching over 22 hectares. The zoo has numerous cafes and kiosks for refreshments and breaks. Playgrounds are also provided for children to play.
With a collection of 4,000 animals (250 species), there are animals from all of the continents in the world. There are three sections to this zoo to make it easier to group the animals and for visitors to identify. The “water habitat” section is where is the sea lions, seals and penguins now reside. There are underwater observation windows to allow visitors to watch the animals in action. The polar bear enclosure is just next door. The “African savanna” is where the African animals reside, mainly zebras, lions and tigers. This section is modeled like the African safari, with desert-like plants around. The “Himalayan mountains” is the last section which was opened with an artificial hill. This extra space allows the snow leopard to have a conducive area for conceiving young cubs.
The zoo is definitely a good place for children to visit, with loads of fun learning about the animals and their habitat.

Karlsruhe Zoo

Address: Ettlinger Str. 6, 76137, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Website: Attraction Name

5. Turmberg - panoramic view of the city

1/3 Turmberg Turm

2/3 Turmberg-Durlach

3/3 Karlsruhe view from Turmberg 2013

The Turmberg is a hill about 256 meters high and it forms the most Northeastern peak of the Black Forest. This is where the transition of the low range hills start to climb up to to the hilly landscape. There is a castle ruin up on top of the hill, the Turmberg castle. You can either climb up the hill through stairs or you can take an electric funicular up to the peak. Most visitors like to come here during the sunrise or sunset to get a good view of the city and also enjoy the atmosphere. There is now a playground built for children to play around. Locals and foreigners take a trip up just for the fresh air and scenery, there are no shops or restaurants at the top of the hill yet. This is definitely a good photography location for all.

Turmberg

Address: Durlach, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Website: Website Information

6. Lehner's Wirtshaus Karlsruhe - dining gem

A trip cannot be complete without good food. The Lehner’s Wirtshaus Karlsruhe is a restaurant frequented by locals and foreigners alike. The name of the restaurant actually means Lehner’s Inn, selling mainly Bavarian food and of course fresh beer. There are both indoor and outdoor seats available. Although it is a bit touristy and popular with foreigners, the price is reasonable and the food is delicious. The staff speaks English well and they also have an English menu. This makes it easy to order food if you are an English-speaking foreigner. In fact, they also have an online reservation system so that you are not without a seat at the restaurant. The ambiance is authentic Bavarian style with plenty of wooden furniture. The outdoor seating is also mainly wood based. The meats are delicious, especially the sausages and pork roasts. Another amazing dish to try is the Flammkuchen or German Pizza. As for drinks, it is needless to say the draft beer goes. Always packed with locals and tourists alike, this is certainly not a restaurant to be missed.

Lehner's Wirtshaus Karlsruhe

Address: Karlstraße 21A, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany

Website: Official Homepage

7. Stovchen - simple eatery, bountiful quality

This restaurant actually has a long history going back to the 1800s. It did not start with a smooth beginning but all the struggles brought it to where it is today. Stovchen is another restaurant well liked by both locals and tourists. The restaurant gets really busy and vibrant at night, especially during weekends. They always have promotions or special activities and alcohol goes at a very cheap price, in some cases even cheaper than the mineral water. The food served here is a typical German style, including roasts, sausages and potatoes, but they do have vegetarian items like salads and very large servings. Indoor and outdoor seating are both available. The restaurant stays open until late so you can really drink your heart out!

Stovchen

Address: Waldstr. 54, 76133, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, G

Website: Official Website

Karlsruhe in a Nutshell

There are also many other events and activities to attend in Karlsruhe. Although this place is not as touristy as Munich or Berlin, it has its own way of charming the tourists. Do drop by here and try the seven “sins” while on your way to The Black Forest!