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Table of Contents:
Briefly about Baden-Wurttemberg region: why to go and what to see
Climate and weather of Baden-Wurttemberg
How to get to Baden-Wurttemberg
Public transport, taxi and car rental
Where to stay in Baden-Wurttemberg
Attractions of Baden-Wurttemberg
Where to go from Baden-Wurttemberg
I have travelled around Baden-Wurttemberg a lot and, in short, I can say that this region looks fabulous and has a huge number of things to do and places to visit. You can definitely be charmed with its countryside full of attractions and tiny gingerbread towns scattered around. The local gentle climate also attracts a lot of travellers. Besides, you can conveniently and safely move around the region as the railway and road connections are highly-developed. Based on my experience, plus some research, I created a post about visiting the Baden-Wurttemberg region so let us dive into it!
Briefly about Baden-Wurttemberg region: why to go and what to see
The Baden-Wurttemberg region is located in the southwest of Germany and has borders with France and Switzerland. It is considered to be the third largest region in the country and its administrative center is Stuttgart.
Baden-Wurttemberg is famous for its natural landscapes and thermal springs, which attract travelers to this part of Germany from all over the World. So, the Black Forest Mountain range (the famous “Black Forest”), the mineral resort of Baden-Baden, the Constance Lake, numerous romantic castles and “gingerbread” towns with houses in the style of half-timbered architecture are located here. Do not miss to see all these magnificent attractions!

Climate and weather of Baden-Wurttemberg
The climate of Baden-Wurttemberg is considered to be continental. The winters in the region are quite mild, snow does not fall for so long, and often melts immediately. In the northern part of the region, it is a bit rainy, in the south it is almost always sunny. For example, in the southern town of Freiburg, there are more than 300 sunny days a year.
Based on my experience, the high season in Baden-Wurttemberg is the period from May to September, when sightseeing holidays can be combined with swimming in local lakes. In the autumn-winter period, Baden-Wurttemberg attracts tourists with its thermal spa areas, which are widely known outside of Germany. One of the main thermal resorts in the region is the town of Baden-Baden, but you can find mineral springs not only here, but also, for example, in the town of Meersburg, which is located near beautiful Lake Constance. I visited some thermal spas here and can definitely recommend such a nice activity to try.

Currency, language
◊ In Germany, as in most European countries, the euro currency has been adopted. If you have not exchanged money in advance, then currency exchange offices can be found at the airport terminals. You need cash at the airport to pay for public transport or taxis, other currencies (dollars, for example) are not accepted for payment.
◊ In Baden-Wurttemberg, as in the rest of Germany, the German language is spoken. In some small towns you can hear an unusual Swabian dialect. English is understood, as a rule, in all tourist places; many signs in museums, galleries, castles and other attractions are duplicated in English. However, it should be borne in mind that in small towns it is quite possible to face some “translation difficulties”.

How to get to Baden-Wurttemberg
There are several ways to get to Baden-Wurttemberg. Until recently, direct flights to Frankfurt or Stuttgart were the most common options. But flights launched by various low-cost carriers to Baden-Baden Airport are now becoming more popular. Flights to Frankfurt and Stuttgart are operated with Lufthansa and other well-known European airlines. It is worth bearing in mind that Frankfurt is not located in the Baden-Wurttemberg region, but in the neighboring Hesse region, so it takes you some time to get to the desired city or resort in the Baden-Wurttemberg region.
You can check the schedule of flights to Baden-Baden, Stuttgart or Frankfurt from your city, as well as compare the cost of tickets online on various booking services such as Aviasales and other similar ones. I use Aviasales regularly to check out available flight options and find out the best one, using individual settings.

Cities of Baden-Wurttemberg
The largest and most famous cities of Baden-Wurttemberg are Stuttgart and Baden-Baden. The first one is famous for its automobile museums and architectural attractions, the second one is for thermal springs, shopping and cultural events. Baden-Baden is the recognized tourist center of the region.
In addition to Stuttgart and Baden-Baden, the ancient city of Heidelberg, located in the north of the region, is also popular among travelers. Here you can find the oldest university in Germany, the Heidelberg Castle, the “path of philosophers” and much more.
With a special pleasure, tourists visit the town of Karlsruhe. The city has an interesting radial construction. All the streets in the town stretch from the main palace of Karlsruhe. It looks like a sun with its rays. By the way, I was also very charmed by this magnificent town!
Based on my experience, plus some research, I created a quick guide to the places of interest in Baden-Wurttemberg:
What to see in Stuttgart: Mercedes Benz and Porsche automobile museums, New and Old Palaces, Solitude Castle, Wilhelm’s Zoological and Botanical Garden;
What to see in Baden-Baden: the baths of Caracalla and Friedrichsbad, Kurhaus and Trinkhalle, Rose Garden, Faberge Museum, City Theater, Old and New Castles, Merkur mountain (with funicular); I truly recommend visiting Baden-Baden and trying local thermal spa areas!
What to see in Karlsruhe: Karlsruhe Palace, Grand Ducal Palace, Gottesaue and Prince Max Palaces, Kunsthalle (Art Museum), Center for Art and Media Technology, oldest zoo, Turmberg Mountain (with funicular) and the ruins of Hohenberg Castle; In my opinion, the main palace looks gorgeous so do not miss to see it!
What to see in Heidelberg: Heidelberg Castle, ancient bridge, Charles Gate, botanical garden, mountains of Heiligenberg, Königstuhl and Molkenkur (with funiculars);
What to see in Freiburg: Munsterplatz square, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Augustinerplatz square, City Towers, botanical garden, Günterstal arboretum, Schlossberg, Roskopf, Schaunisland mountains (with funicular), nearby – Europa-Park (amusement family park);
What to see in Ulm: the highest Cathedral in Europe, city towers and fortress, Fisherman’s Quarter, Wiblingen and Söflingen monasteries, nearby – Legoland;
What to see in Tubingen: Hohentubingen Castle, Neckarinsel Island, Bebenhausen Abbey, nearby – Hohenzollern Castle;
What to see on the Constance Lake: Friedrichshafen, Meersburg and Konstanz are resort towns on the shores of Lake Constance. Meersburg also has its own thermal complex, and Konstanz has its own access to the Mainau flowers island.
You can also visit some tiny towns like Rastatt or Ludwigsburg as I did. Both are charming and can boast lush palaces and great green park areas!

Public transport, taxi and car rental
Based on my experience, traveling around Baden-Wurttemberg is quite convenient by public transport; you can use an extensive network of railway and bus routes. Between the major cities of the region, public transport routes are highly-developed, you just need to check the schedule on time. Traveling by bus is, in general, cheaper, but travelling by train is faster (high-speed trains run between the major cities).
Train schedules can be checked on the Raileurope service; bus schedules can be checked, for instance, on the Flixbus service. You can travel by public transport (train or bus) not only in the Baden-Wurttemberg region, but also in other regions of Germany, or you can also go to neighboring countries, for example, to France, Switzerland, Belgium etc. I use Raileurope regularly and I can definitely recommend it. Besides, as I know Flixbus is a pretty popular bus service in Europe and designed for cheaper trips with affordable prices, so why to try it?
Another efficient and convenient way to get around Baden-Wurttemberg is to rent a car. Roads in Germany are well-known for their quality (the so-called autobahns). I also travelled around the Baden-Wurttemberg region by car so I can confirm that local roads are pretty much comfortable and it is often the fastest way to get to the desired destination. You can rent a car in any major city of Baden-Wurttemberg. Besides, you can find many car rentals at the airports of Frankfurt or Stuttgart.
You can book a car in advance on special international services such as Economybookings, Discover Cars and others. To rent a car, you need to have a standard set of documents – a passport, an international driver’s license, a bank card. I tried both services and they helped me to sort various available options by class of the car, price, transmission, departure and return points, etc.
Usually, you can get from German airports to a specific city by public transport without any problems.
- For example, trains run from Frankfurt airport to various regions of the country;
- You can also reach Stuttgart from Stuttgart airport by city train;
- You can get to Baden-Baden resort from Baden-Baden airport by bus.
Please, be noted! If you arrive at night, when public transport is not operating, you can use only a taxi service. You can order a taxi car in advance on Kiwitaxi service, Intui.Travel service and other similar ones. I read the reviews of the services and most of them are positive so I can also recommend both of them.

Where to stay in Baden-Wurttemberg
The accommodation for vacation in Baden-Wurttemberg region should be taken responsibly and planned in advance, because some local resorts are highly-demanded (especially Baden-Baden resort and the Constance Lake resorts). Based on my research, you can stay in Baden-Wurttemberg in hotels of various star categories, apartments, guest houses, B&B, etc. In general, there are a lot of options. It should be borne in mind that in large cities, such as Stuttgart and Baden-Baden, you can find chain hotels, but in small towns, small family hotels are most often prevailed.
✓ Services. In all other respects, there is also a great variety of services: you can find hotels with or without pools, with or without meals, with or without parking; Wi-Fi is available in almost all hotels and even in small hotels. As for apartments, this type of accommodation is rapidly gaining popularity in Germany, so you can rent apartments for living in almost any city of Baden-Wurttemberg (with the exception of small villages and towns).
✓ Booking. It is definitely better to book a hotel/apartment in advance, even if you already have an open visa, because thanks to early booking you can save a lot, especially during the high season. Before booking, it is recommended to read the reviews of guests who have already visited this location, so you can choose the best accommodation option in terms of price and quality. You can search for hotels or apartments, for instance, on the Booking.com service where you can find a lot of reviews from the travellers.
✓ Prices. As for the prices in the Baden-Wurttemberg region, it is generally comparable to prices in other regions of Germany and Western Europe, so the price is usually based on the star rating and the number of services offered, as well as depending on the season. If you book early, you can find more budget options that sell out first. In general, the cost of one night in the hotels of Baden-Baden, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, including hostels, starts from 50 euros; in Heidelberg, Freiburg, Ulm it starts from 45 euros; in Friedrichshafen, Meersburg and Konstanz it starts from 60 euros.

Attractions of Baden-Wurttemberg
The question of what to see in Baden-Wurttemberg can be answered in many ways, depending on your personal preferences. Basically, holidays in Baden-Wurttemberg are a mix of excursions, where you can visit a lot of architectural and historical monuments, mysterious castles and beautiful palaces and also natural landscapes – mountains, forests, waterfalls and mountain lakes. In addition, the Baden-Wurttemberg region is great for thermal relaxation and sometimes for beach holidays as the Constance Lake becomes the tourist center in summer.
A quick guide to Baden-Wurttemberg attractions, made by me, is below:
✓ Thermal springs of the Baden-Baden resort (all year round); I highly recommend it!
✓ Beach holiday on the Constance Lake (June-September) + visiting the Mainau flowers island (from March to November);
✓ Castles of Baden-Wurttemberg (Heidelberg Castle, Sigmaringen Castle, Urach Castle, Hohenzollern Castle etc). Attractions are available any season of the year;
✓ Palaces of Baden-Wurttemberg (Solitude Palace in Stuttgart, Schwetzingen Palace in the surroundings of Heidelberg, Rastatt Palace, Ludwigsburg Residence, Weikersheim Palace, Bruchsal Palace etc). Attractions are mostly possible to visit any season of the year;
✓ Natural attractions of Baden-Wurttemberg (Constance Lake, Titisee Lake, Mummelsee Lake, Black Forest National Park, Triberg waterfall, Geroldsau waterfall, Zankenbach waterfall). The best time to visit natural attractions is the period from April to October; I travelled through the Black Forest National Park in Baden-Wurttemberg and I was truly charmed by its lovely landscapes so do not miss it!
✓ Amusement parks (Europe-Park in Rust and Legoland in Gunzburg). They are available all year round with some exceptions (see the schedules on park`s websites).

Where to go from Baden-Wurttemberg
Baden-Wurttemberg has an exceptionally convenient location, from where you can travel to different European destinations. For example, to the north from the region you can explore such major tourist points as Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Cologne, Dusseldorf, then – Belgium; in the east from the region, you can find Bavaria attractions such as romantic castles and alpine nature; in the south from the region, you can continue to travel to Switzerland, in the west – to Northern France. I chose to travel to Northern France and I wasn`t disappointed!
You also can choose to see the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, where medieval castles are located on the banks of Moselle River. The Moselle Valley is famous for its beautiful natural views and authentic medieval towns. A quick guide to Rhineland-Palatinate region attractions is below:
✓Cochem is well-known for its historic old district, Reichsburg Castle, medieval cathedrals, Mustard Mill (museum of Mustard), Market square etc;
✓Trier is well-known for its Roman gates, abbeys and cathedrals, palace of the Electors, Palatine Basilica, Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge, half-timbered houses etc;
✓Koblenz is well-known for its German Corner area, basilicas and churches, Ehrenbreitstein fortress, Stolzenfels castle, Electoral Palace, Old Castle, embankment with Balduinsky arch bridge etc;
✓Mainz is well-known for its Market square, Marktbrunnen fountain, Cathedral of St. Martin, Church of St. Augustine, Gutenberg Museum etc;
✓Eltz Castle is well-known for its Rodendorf Houses, Kempenich buildings, Plattelz house, Armory and Treasury, and also for its medieval stone bridge and gorgeous views around.

Nature of Baden-Wurttemberg
As for the countryside, the Baden-Wurttemberg region is considered to be one of the most picturesque natural areas in Germany. Located in the southwest of the country, Baden-Wurttemberg has a lot to offer travelers. You can find here one of the largest mountain ranges (the so-called “Black Forest”), many lakes (the largest one is Constance, the smaller ones are Titisee, Mummelsee, etc.) and waterfalls (Triberger, Todnau, Geroldsau waterfalls).
Black Forest National Park
The area of the Black Forest massif is more than 16,000 sq. km. The massif runs along the course of the Rhine River, mostly covered with coniferous forests, and forms many picturesque mountain peaks, lakes, waterfalls and thermal springs. The name “Schwarzwald” is translated as “Black Forest” and has a literal meaning as coniferous forests have a deep blue-black color here. But you shouldn’t be afraid of exploring the area as there are comfortable roads for car travelers, railways for train travelers and many hiking trails for cyclists and hikers. I travelled along the park by car and I can say that the local roads are pretty much convenient.
The easiest way to get to the territory of the Black Forest is to visit the surroundings of the cities of Baden-Wurttemberg. So, in the suburbs of Baden-Baden, there is Merkur mountain and a cable car leading to a mountain peak of 670 meters high, from where picturesque views are available. In the surroundings of Karlsruhe there is Turmberg mountain and also with a funicular. This is the northernmost mountain point of the Black Forest. From here, on fine days, you can see not only the Black Forest, but even neighboring French Alsace.
Directly above Heidelberg, several mountain peaks rise at once, for instance, Heiligenberg, Konigstuhl and Molkenkur mountains. You can also climb here by cable car, or you can walk along perhaps the most famous hiking route in Germany called the Philosophers’ Trail. In Freiburg, you can climb the Schlossberg, Roskopf and Schaunisland mountains; cable cars and funiculars also work here for lifting. Freiburg cable car is the longest in Germany.
If walking around the cities does not satisfy you, then you can go to the very heart of the Black Forest – its National Park with an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers. Inside the park, there are many routes that lead to the mountains, lakes, waterfalls and other picturesque places in the region. Based on my experience, the local landscapes are truly inspiring and I highly recommend seeing it one day!

Lakes of Baden-Wurttemberg
Most of the lakes on the territory of Baden-Wurttemberg region are small and very picturesque. They are mostly located within the Black Forest massif, except the largest one – the Constance Lake. The area of Constance Lake reaches more than 500 sq. km, it is located in two regions of Germany – Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria, as well as on the territory of two other countries – Switzerland and Austria. Geographically, the lake is divided into Lower and Upper, and in its water area you can see several islands. The most significant islands here are Reichenau (listed as UNESCO sites) and Mainau flowers Island. You can relax on the lake by choosing one of its resort towns – Konstanz, Friedrichshafen, Meersburg or Lindau in Germany, St. Gallen in Switzerland or Bregenz in Austria.
On the territory of the Black Forest National Park, you can find Titisee Lake formed by glaciers. The lake is located near the highest mountain of the Black Forest – the Feldberg Mountain. This is quite a well-known resort, where you can relax either in summer or in winter, when the ski slopes open for skiing. On Lake Titisee, you can safely go boating or go around along special hiking trails. Besides, you can visit the thermal complex in the neighboring town of Titisee-Neustadt.

Take a note! When going on a trip to Germany, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Huub Janssen

Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…