Discover Karlsruhe by Hire Car
Karlsruhe is a lively city of 286,000 inhabitants, bordered by the Rhine and the foothills of the Black Forest.
You’ll miss the idyll and tranquillity of medieval lanes here. But Karlsruhe has its own distinctive charm.
Sights in Karlsruhe
As a fairly young city, Karlsruhe was designed on the drawing board in 1715. Margrave Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach realised his very own ideas in the process. In the midst of the unspoiled nature of the Hartwald forest, he had a palace built, based on the Versailles model.
The city centre is grouped in a fan shape around the 32 streets branching off from the castle. The castle now houses the Baden State Museum. It displays a remarkable collection from 5500 years of cultural history. The palace garden is an oasis of peace and relaxation with a pond, sunbathing lawns and idyllic picnic areas.
The market square of Karlsruhe presents itself as an enclosed neoclassical complex. The viewer may be somewhat surprised by the landmark of Karlsruhe, a 6.5-meter-high pyramid made of sandstone, which can be seen from afar. It was erected on the site of an earlier church and houses the tomb of the city’s founder, Margrave Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach.
The 2-kilometre-long Kaiserstraße has been converted into a pedestrian zone and is the city’s most popular promenade, with numerous boutiques, cafés and restaurants.
Leisure in Karlsruhe
The Karlsruhe Zoological Garden was founded in 1865 and is one of the oldest zoos in Germany. Polar bears, chimpanzees, lions and elephants can be admired here in their natural environment. In the adjoining Stadtgarten, 15,000 roses bloom in the most beautiful colours, and the Japanese Garden transports visitors to the Far Eastern world.
The surroundings of Karlsruhe are ideal for a tour by hire car. Worthwhile destinations are Ettlingen, Bruchsal or Bretten.
hire car price comparison Karlsruhe
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