Palace setting

Thanks to its location in the Rhine valley, Karlsruhe is one of Germany's warmest and sunniest cities. When the frost melts away under the first warming rays of the spring sun, the plaza in front of Karlsruhe Palace fills with life. The Baroque façade of the former residential palace offers a unique backdrop, and serves as a meeting place for young and old alike. As an architectural and cultural centre, the palace connects the lively city centre with the idyllic palace gardens. During the summer months, the area serves as the setting for numerous open air events.


Palace garden
The extensive park is a favourite destination, inviting guests to sunbathe and stroll. The Schlossgartenbahn (palace garden train) runs here regularly on the weekends (Good Friday to All Saints’ Day). On Sundays, “Greif” the steam locomotive travels through the garden and Hardt forest on a 2.7 km track.

Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe State Art Gallery)
The Badisches Landesmuseum and State Art Gallery are bound together by a history of joint exhibitions, growing from Baden margraves’ great passion for the arts. At the edge of the botanical garden, just a few minutes’ walk from the palace, the Art Gallery houses over 3,000 works from the most important eras of art history. A discounted combo ticket is available for the grand state exhibitions of Hans Baldung Grien (30 November 2019 – 8 March 2020) in the Art Gallery and Emperor and Sultan (19 October 2019 – 19 April 2020) in the Badisches Landesmuseum.

 

Schlosslichtspiele (Palace light show) Karlsruhe (8 August to 15 September) 
For six weeks during the summer, the Karlsruhe Palace becomes one of the biggest and most beautiful projection screens in Germany. During the Schlosslichtspiele Karlsruhe, complex video projections play over the 170 metre long Baroque facade after darkness, showing the palace in a whole new, splendid light each evening. The light show has been on display since 2015 and can be viewed free of charge from the lawn in front of the palace. It turns the former margrave’s residence into a lively hub in the heart of the city on summer evenings.

Stadtwerke Eiszeit (6 November 2019 – 2 February 2020)
During the winter months, a skating rink is set up around the statue of Grand Duke Karl Friedrich. The public utility's “EISZEIT” (Ice Age) turns ice skating in front of the gorgeous Karlsruhe Palace into a true experience. If you would rather not go out in the cold, you can also enjoy the view of the Baroque palace with a glass of mulled wine or punch from a wooden hut in the ice age winter village.

Other events

  •     Karlsruher Bierbörse (beer festival) (30 August – 1 September 2019)
  •     Food Truck Convention Karlsruhe (6 – 8 September 2019)