'''Karlsruhe'''[http://www.karlsruhe.de] is a city in Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany.
Understand
Karlsruhe is located on the Rhine and in the top of the Black Forest, close to the French border. The city was founded in 1715 by margrave Karl Wilhelm von Baden. The city was laid out on the drawing board. It consists of a central circle, containing the castle, and streets running towards the castle as radial "spokes". This pattern is still visible today. Due to the fan-like layout, Karlsruhe is known as the "fan city" (Facherstadt).
The Rhine valley, where Karlsruhe is located, is the warmest part of Germany because it is only about 115 m above sea level and there are mountains in the east (black forest) and west (vogesen). Therefore, Karlsruhe has more sunny days than many other parts of Germany.
There isn't a lot of tourist traffic to Karlsruhe. Tourists generally tend to gravitate towards the cities of Heidelberg (50km to the north) and Freiburg (100km to the south), with their well-preserved old towns. It's a shame though, as Karlsruhe's radial layout is one of the best early examples of New Urbanism, and is really a joy to explore. Maybe that's a benefit to travelers who do venture there, as the number of visitors is low enough to be sort of a novelty for the locals.
Karlsruhe is home to the two highest federal courts of Germany, the ''Bundesverfassungsgericht'' (Federal constitutional court) and the ''Bundesgerichtshof'' (Supreme federal court). Because of this and other administrative facilities, Karlsruhe has a reputation as a city of civil servants.
Karlsruhe has a large technical university, as well as several other colleges. The presence of the technical university has promoted the city somewhat in the world of Free and Open Source Software: Karlsruhe was the home of [http://linuxtag.org LinuxTag] until 2005.
Get in
By plane
'''[http://www.badenairpark.de/ Baden-Airpark]''' is the nearest local airport, about 40km from the city. The airport is now served by low-cost carrier Ryanair, which offers cheap flights to several European destinations. There is a cheap airport shuttle bus ('''[http://www.baden-airpark-express.de/ Baden-Airport-Express]''') (leaving 8 times a day on weekdays, 3 times a day on saturdays, synchronized with the flight schedule) to Karlsruhe Main Station. One-way-tickets can be bought from the driver (9 EUR, cash only, accepted currency: euro); alternatively, you can take a train or a tram-train to Rastatt or Baden-Baden and take a connecting bus to Baden-Airport. Through-ticketing is available, for current prices and schedules see ('''[http://www.kvv.de/ Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund (Karlsruhe Area Mass Transit Authority)]''')
'''Stuttgart airport''' is reachable by train in one and a half hour.
'''Frankfurt airport''' has a direct ICE high speed train connection to Karlsruhe (1 hour).
'''[http://www.hahn-airport.de/ Frankfurt Hahn airport]''' - There is a direct transit bus that travels between Frankfurt Hahn Airport and Baden Airpark. If you wish to go to Karlsruhe City Centre from Frankfurt Hahn Airport, take the bus that stops at Durlach Bahnhof and take a tram towards the city. - Due to the roadworks on the A5 motorway this bus service has been suspended. You can get the bus as far as either Mainz or Heidelberg and then the train from there
By train
The train station is located south of the city centre, with roughly 5-10 minutes by tram to the central market square, and direct tram links to other parts of the city. Karlsruhe is well linked to other larger cities by ICE high speed trains. The schedules for the inter-city connections can be found on the site of the [http://www.db.de/ Deutsche Bahn] (German railroads).
By bus
The bus station is located at the south entrance of the train
station. You can buy tickets for international destinations inside the train station.
Get around
'''Public transport''': Karlsruhe has an excellent public transportation system called KVV; its mostly build on trams/streetcars. Trams run not just within the city but also far into the surrounding area. Don't be surprised when you see a tram in the pedestrian zone going to Ohringen, which is 110 km away. An overview of the entire tram network can be downloaded [http://www.kvv.de/kvv/documentpool/liniennetzplan/j08/lnetz_j08.pdf here]. A single ticket for a trip within the city limits costs 2? for adults, 1? for kids. Most tickets have to be stamped upon entering a tram and controllers are quite frequent. In particular for longer distances outside of Karlsruhe buying the right ticket can be a bit challenging, but in front of the main train station you find a KVV office that will be happy to assist you. Trains run late into the night, in particular on weekends, but almost every line stops for a few hours every night. Schedules and maps are posted on virtually every station; you can also find more information on fares and timetables on the [http://www.kvv.de/ KVV homepage] (German only).
'''Rental bikes''': During the summer, spring and autumn rental bikes are available throughout the city. A mobile phone is used to rent a bike and it can be 'returned' (again using the mobile phone) at any inner city corner. To rent a bike costs no more than 8 cent a minute or 9 euro a day. More information is available at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_a_Bike Wikipedia] and at the [http://www.callabike-interaktiv.de/kundenbuchung/process.php?proc=english&f=500&key=d77b3782346423c9f6ea41d27f412b00...00000 Call a bike page].
See
'''ZKM''', Lorenzstrase 19, (0721) 81-000, Wed-Fri 10AM-6PM [http://www.zkm.de] Sat, Sun, holidays 11AM-6PM, Mon, Tue closed (Media Museum). The Zentrum fur Kunst und Medientechnologie is devoted to interactive and 'media art'. The museum is quite unique, and the exhibitions are world-class. The ZKM also hosts many cultural events, check their home page for the schedule. The same complex also hosts the Museum fur Neue Kunst (Museum for new Art) and the city gallery.
'''Staatliche Kunsthalle''' (Art Hall of the State), Hans-Thoma-Strase 2 - 6, (0721) 926-3355 [http://www.kunsthalle-karlsruhe.de] Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat, Sun, holidays 10AM-6PM. This museum shows mainly classical paintings from the 16th century on.
A list of '''other museums''' can be found on the [http://www4.karlsruhe.de/kultur/ausstellungen city homepage].
'''Badisches Staatstheather''', Baumeisterstr. 11, (0721) 933-333 (Reservations) [http://www.karlsruhe.de/Kultur/Staatstheater/start/] is the biggest theater and opera house in the city, but there are various smaller theaters. A list can be found on the city homepage.
'''Cinemas''': The '''[http://www.schauburg.de Schauburg]''' and the '''[http://www.kinemathek-karlsruhe.de Kino im Prinz-Max-Palais]''' are independent cinemas which occasional show movies in their original language. The other cinemas tend to stick to the usual German-dubbed fare. '''Schauburg''', Marienstr. 16, (0721) 3500018. '''Kino im Prinz-Max-Palais''', Karlstr. 10, (0721) 9374714 (Information).
'''Palace''', directly north of the city center. The palace hosts the '''Badisches Landesmuseum''', Tue-Thu 10AM-17PM, Fri-Sun and holidays 10AM-6PM, special exhibitions Tue-Sun 10AM-6PM. The palace is directly north of the city center, a 2min walk on foot from the Marktplatz. The palace was rebuilt after World War II, and now hosts the ''Badisches Landesmuseum'', a museum dedicated to historical exhibitions and local interest. There are also special exhibitions from time to time. North of the palace is a vast park area, the '''palace garden''' (Schlosspark), where the locals hang out on summer days. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays during the summer season you can also take a ride on the small train that runs through the gardens. Steam trains usually run on Sundays while dieselpowered trains operate on Saturdays. Entry to the gardens is free, the museum is €4 for adults.
'''The Pyramid''' - on the Marktplatz, and the emblem of the city. It marks the place where Karl Wilhelm was buried, and is somewhat unremarkable.
'''Zoo''' [http://www.karlsruhe.de/Zoo/] - near the main station, opening hours vary throughout the year, but the main entrance is open at least Mon-Sun 9AM-16PM, and longer in the summer months. The other entrances have shorter hours, check on the web page. The zoo is moderately large, and does have some special attractions. The price is €5 for adults, discounts are available for some groups.
'''Durlach''' Nowadays a part of Karlsruhe it is much older (first mentioned in the 12th century) than Karlsruhe itself and has a charming medieval town-center. It can be easily reached by tram 1 in a quarter of an hour. A word of advice: calling an inhabitant of Durlach a "Karlsruher" is asking for trouble. From the Turmberg (tower hill), you have a nice view over the city and the Rhine valley.
Attend
July: '''Das Fest''' [http://www.dasfest-karlsruhe.de/] - Karlsruhe's most famous yearly event on one weekend in July. Life music on multiple stages erected in the Gunther-Klotz Anlage; usually some good bands participate and the program has somethings for almost every taste. Attendance is free, but you are not allowed to bring your own drinks.
July: '''African Summer Festival''' [http://www.africansummerfestival.de] - African culture in Karlsruhe's Nordstadt. Markets, drumming workshops, exhibitions, a varied children's programme and musical performances take place during the three days, the aim being enjoyment for the whole family.
August: '''KAMUNA''' [http://www.kamuna.de/] - Karlsruhe Night of the Museum. Once a year many museums in Karlsruhe open late into the night, there are many events at these museums and a live concert at the end. Special KAMUNA buttons are sold that allow for entrance in all participating museums and are also a ticket for the public transport. On the day of the KAMUNA the schedule of public transport is changed to allow the visitors to get home easily. KAMUNA is very popular in Karlsruhe and many people are attending.
August: '''Medieval Spectaculum''' [http://www.spectaculum.de/] - Medieval themed event with a market, games, music, knights in armor, magicians, fire show etc. in the area around the Karlsruhe palace.
Eat
What to eat (if you want to try something typical):
'''Flammkuchen''': kind of similar to pizza, but with a a much thinner pastry and topped with sour cream instead of tomato sauce. Most typical toppings are onions and bacon, but there are many variants (in particular some very tasty sweet ones that come flambeed). Just order one after the other (they get cold very fast), always sharing each one with everyone on the table.
'''Kasespatzle''': a special kind of pasta in a heavy cheese sauce.
'''Gebratene Maultaschen''': kind of like Tortellini, but much larger and fried with onions. May sound strange, but you really can't do much wrong with these.
'''Wurstsalat''': Sausage-Salat; well, its Germany after all. Comes with bread and is really quite tasty.
'''Hackepeter''': Raw minced meat with fresh onions and bread. You don't get this very often (but for example at Vogelbrau).
'''Yufka Doner''': A kind of doner [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%B6ner_kebab] with different bread. Sold in dozens of places it is probably the cheapest way to get a complete meal.
Where to eat:
'''Krauterkuche''' [http://www.kraeuterkueche-karlsruhe.de/] a small, modern German restaurant that offers a small selection of good food created in front of your eyes with fresh, biological ingredients. Its a good idea to call ahead and reserve a table. (Ritterstrase 10)
'''Die Kippe''' [http://www.die-kippe.de] is one of the most typical student pubs in Karlsruhe. It offers cheap greasy food in a nice atmosphere. During the summer time they have a nice beer garden. Among other meals they serve a few regional foods. (Gottesauer Strase 23)
'''Ballermann''' [http://www.ballermann1.de/] is a cheap restaurant with tasty food close to the university; in particular you get some of the best burgers in Karlsruhe (try the barbecue burger). Ballermann also has a few large TVs and beamers and is showing all major soccer games. (Englerstrase 14)
'''ViVA Restaurant''' [http://www.viva-restaurant.de/] offers vegetarian and vegan food in the city center. (Lammstrase 7a)
'''Shogun''' [http://www.restaurant-shogun.de/] is a good place to eat Sushi. (Zahringerstrase 96)
'''Pizzahaus''' is an Italian restaurant with good pizza. (Rintheimer Strase 2)
'''Vogelbrau Karlsruhe''' [http://www.vogelbraeu.de/] is a beer garden, restaurant and brewery. You get good beer and German food here, really a nice place for lunch, dinner or drinking. There are two more 'Vogelbrau' restaurants in the nearby towns of Ettlingen [http://www.vogelbraeu.de/ettlingen/2_2_7.html] and Durlach [http://www.vogelbraeu.de/durlach/2_3_7.html]. (Kapellenstrase 50)
Drink
'''Badisch Brauhaus''' [http://www.badisch-brauhaus.de/] is a very large multi-story beer garden, brewery and restaurant. On its uppermost floor is a cocktail bar; probably the nicest place in Karlsruhe for cocktails (although on weekends it can be difficult to get a seat and service can be slow). (Stephanienstr. 38-40)
'''Hoepfner''' - like other cities in Germany, Karlsruhe has a few regional brands of beer, of which Hoepfner is the most famous. There is a brewery and Beer Garden at the east site of the town. It is also worth exploring the microbreweries scattered around the city, such as the Vogelbraeu, Wolf Brauerei and the Badische Brauhaus, all of which have seasonal specialities.
'''Alter Brauhof''' - a nice place to sit outside and have a beer (only a good place in summer), also offers decent food. Its not so well known, so you stand a good chance of finding a nice place even on a nice summer evening even on weekends. (Beiertheimer Allee 18a)
'''Carambolage''' [http://www.club-carambolage.de/] - Special club in the near of the university and maybe the only place of the city where you can go out until 5 a.m. during the week.
Internet
'''Thalia''' [http://service.thalia.de/thalia.vorort.php?vst=133] - A bookstore in the main shopping street (Kaiserstrase 167) has some internet terminals in the uppermost floor
'''Gelbe Seiten''' [http://www.burning-house.de/] - This quite stylish bar/cafe close to Ettlinger Tor (Karl-Friedrich-Strase 22) has free WLAN, one internet computer; offers a nice selection of drinks&cocktails and some simple food.
'''LOC''' [http://www.loc-ka.de/] - Surprisingly good art and culture restaurant in the main train station that offers good food, attentive staff, music and culture events in the evenings and relatively cheap WLAN. Only the coffee is bad.
'''Kaffee Schiller''' [http://www.kaffeebar-schiller.de/] - Has free WLAN and a few computers to use. You also get good coffee, cakes and some simple (but good) food. Its close to the main shopping street and the university. Currently it is closed because the owner took a different job - but this seems to be only temporary (Kronenstr.30)
An extensive (but German) list of further locations can be found here [http://ka.stadtwiki.net/WLAN].
Shopping
Most shops are located in the pedestrian zone in the Kaiserstrasse. At Ludwigsplatz, near Kaiserstrasse, there are various open-air cafes where the shopper can relax. Some of the more expensive boutiques and shoe shops are also located in this area.
In the south of the Marktplatz, at the end of the pedestrian zone, is a big shoppping mall called "Ettlinger Tor". Definitely an alternative to the Kaiserstrasse, especially when the weather is bad.
Sleep
'''Youth Hostel''' [http://www.jugendherberge-karlsruhe.de]
'''Other hotels''': you can search for hotels on the [http://www1.karlsruhe.de/Tourismus/ukv/ city homepage].
Stay safe
Karlsruhe is maybe one of the safest cities in the world. Especially the centre of the town. There are a lot of policemen walking and driving around, mainly because of the important courts. Maybe some suburbs should be avoided at night (Oberreut or Daxlanden), but all in all there are no reasons to feel unsafe in this city.
Cope
'''Religious services'''
[http://www1.karlsruhe.de/~kath/pfarreien/ Overview over all Catholic churches in Karlsruhe]
'''Unsere Liebe Frau''', Marienstr. 80 (from central station 800 m direction Nordeast).[http://www.mitte-sued-ka.de/mitte-sued/aktuelles/gottesdienste/gottesdienstordnung/index_html] Sun: 10:15; Tue: 15:00; Thu-Fri: 18:30
'''St. Michael''', Barbarossaplatz (from central station 1000 m direction west).[http://www1.karlsruhe.de/~kath/pfarreien/gottesdienste.php?pid=9] Sat: 18:00; Sun: 11:15, 16:00 (croat.); Tue: 8:00; Wed: 7:45; Thu: 18:00
'''St. Elisabeth''', Sudendstrase 39 (from central station 1400 m direction nordwest).[http://www.st-elisabeth-ka.de/cont/index.php?nav_id=2000] Sun: 9:45; Tue: 18:00; Wed: 7:45; Thu: 18:00
'''[http://www.dmk-karlsruhe.de Deutschsprachiger Muslimkreis]''' (german-speaking muslim circle), Kaiserpassage 10 (from central station 1400 m direction center).
Get out
Baden-Baden
Heidelberg
Stuttgart
Freiburg
Paris The French TGV high speed train gets you there in as little as 3 hours and 3 minutes