Baden-Baden or Karlsruhe?

Baden-Baden and Karlsruhe are two charming cities located in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany.

1. Baden-Baden x Karlsruhe Overview

Baden-Baden is a city known for its thermal baths and also as a gateway to the Black Forest region. The city has a charming old center and offers visitors many attractions.

Karlsruhe is not a very touristy destination like Baden-Baden, but it does offer visitors good options for museums, parks, and beautiful palaces.

2. Hotels

In Baden-Baden the average price for a 3-star hotel is USD 123 and for a 5-star hotel is USD 152.

And in Karlsruhe the average price for a 3 star category hotel is USD 93 and for a 5 star category hotel it is USD 181.

3. Shopping

Shopping Street in Baden-Baden

Baden-Baden offers excellent shopping opportunities, such as the Wagener Galerie Baden-Baden mall and the elegant Sophienstrasse.

The famous German department store Karstadt, Postgalerie Karlsruhe and Ettlinger Tor Karlsruhe are excellent places for shopping in Karlsruhe.

4. Museums

Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe – ©Bruno Kelzer

Baden-Baden offers good museum options like the Museum Frieder Burda, Faberge Museum, and the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden.

Karlsruhe also has great museums options like the Badisches Landesmuseum and the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe.

5. Parks

Baden-Baden

Karlsruhe – ©Aaron Büttner

Baden-Baden is home to some beautiful parks and gardens like the Kurgarten, Lichtentaler Allee, and the Rosengarten.

Karlsruhe also offers beautiful parks like the Schlossgarten and the Günther-Klotz-Anlage.

6. Day Trips

Freiburg – ©Gadiel Lazcano

Strasbourg, France – ©Patrick Robert Doyle

From Baden-Baden, it is possible to combine a day trip to destinations like Freiburg and Strasbourg in France.

From Karlsruhe, it is possible to combine a day trip to destinations like Heidelberg and Ulm.

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Itinerary Idea

2 Days in Baden-Baden

Day 1 in Baden-Baden

Start the day by visiting the Stiftskirche one of the attractions of the old city center.

Follow to the Ruins of Roman Bath, the 2,000-year-old ruins are one of the oldest and best-kept examples of the country.

Head to Sophienstrasse, a street with a variety of shops, boutiques and shopping galleries until you reach the Kurhaus.

The Kurhaus is a spa resort, casino and conference complex, and the Kurgarten is the cultural center of the city with numerous boutiques, galleries, and cafes.

Trinkhalle from the 19th century is part of the Kurhaus complex.

Head to Stourdza Kapelle (1.863-1.866) built-in white, red and brown sandstone.

Located 750 meters from Stourdza Kapelle is the Opera House (Festspielhaus), one of the largest classical music venues in Europe. The building has a unique architecture.

For views of the city and Black Forest, head to the ruins of Altes Schloss Hohenbaden.

Day 2 in Baden-Baden

Start the day by visiting Caracalla, a spa located in an area of over 4,000 m². The place is ideal for relaxing and bathing in the thermal waters.

Head to the Paradies, a fountain complex and waterfalls built-in 1.925. The Garden of Roses is a beautiful garden located 2.2 km from Paradies.

The Russian Church is another attraction with its golden dome.

Located 550 meters from the Russian Church is the Lichtentaler Allee, a historic park and city’s Botanical Gardens.

1 Day in Karlsruhe

Day 1 in Karlsruhe

Start the day by visiting the Karlsruhe Palace at Schloßbezirk, a baroque palace that houses a cultural history museum. Near the palace you will find the Karlsruhe Botanical Garden, established by Charles III William, Margrave of Baden-Durlach and designed by Karl Christian Gmelin.

Alto visit the Marktplatz, and head to Schloss Gottesaue, another popular attraction in Karlsruhe.

Where to visit

Book Your Trip

Book Your Accommodation

Book your hotel with Booking.com as they consistently provide the cheapest and lowest rates.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights to Germany by using Momondo. Momondo is a flight search engine that searches a lot of different airlines, including many of budget carriers.

Book a Train Ticket

Check the train routes and schedules with Omio. Omio is an authorized Deutsche Bahn ticket seller, which compares and combines transport options for complete flexibility.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, and cancellations. It’s a protection in case anything goes wrong. You can book your travel insurance with Travelexinsurance.com.