A man and a woman walk through a corridor in the castle. Paintings hang on the walls, the ceiling is decorated and painted. Glowing chandeliers hang from the ceiling.

Culture in Baden-WürttembergExpanding Horizons in Southwest Germany

Excursions, Events, Museums, Attractions

Historic Heritage and Contemporary Culture

Ice Age art and future labs. Fairytale castles and industrial landmarks. Celtic burial sites and hip-hop festivals. Locations where human history was written. Plus an events calendar packed with enough highlights to rival any UNESCO heritage list.

Gray paneled facade of a museum with the inscription “Heidengraben Zentrum”

The Heidengraben Center in Erkenbrechtsweiler

Just one of the many cultural specialties in the south

Art and Culture in Baden-Württemberg

At a Glance

“On” 365 Days a Year

Pop-up galleries on rooftops, castle festivals, impromptu concerts – the acts are exciting, and so are the locations.

Must-See: Museums

Cultural heritage at the State Museums of Württemberg and Baden. Technology and new media at the Technoseum in Mannheim or the ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, art history at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart and the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, and seven open-air museums – all inviting you to broaden your horizons.

Noblesse Oblige

In Baden-Württemberg, fairy tales come true: in grand monuments like Heidelberg Castle, Ludwigsburg Residential Palace, or Hohenzollern Castle, as well as charming smaller palaces in Schwetzingen or Meersburg.

Landmarks, Legends, and Live Shows

A castle stands on a rock surrounded by autumnal trees. A wooden bridge leads to the castle, which has several small towers and is made of stone.

Castles & Gardens in Southwest Germany

Far too Fabulous to Be True

World Heritage Sites in Baden-Württemberg

From Caves to Hollywood

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Castles & Gardens in Southwest Germany

Far too Fabulous to Be True

World Heritage Sites in Baden-Württemberg

From Caves to Hollywood

SÜDEN FACTSSÜDEN FACTSSÜDEN FACTSSÜDEN FACTSSÜDEN FACTS

7

exceptional UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Baden-Württemberg

≈ 40.000

years old – artwork discovered in the caves of the Swabian Alb

1200

years ago a monk on Reichenau Island wrote about herbal medicine, becoming a pioneer of garden culture

6x

Opera House of the Year, 12x Opera Chorus of the Year – The Staatsoper Stuttgart is one of the leading opera houses in Germany

2.500

seats for culture enthusiasts in Europe's largest festival theater in Baden-Baden

3.000

Castles and palaces once existed in Baden-Württemberg; today, about a third remain

6th century BC

Celts lived at Heuneburg near Sigmaringen, now viewable as an open-air museum

1.500

original finds at the Limes Information Center offer insight into Roman life

Historical Cultural Sites

Ready for a Journey Through Time?

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CultureMonasteries & churches

Bebenhausen Monastery and Castle

The medieval monastery complex of Bebenhausen is nestled in the rolling hills of the Schönbuch Nature Park. Some of the buildings were converted into a royal hunting lodge in the 19th century.

Swabian Alb09:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Mannheim Baroque Palace

Fancy feeling like an Elector for once? In Mannheim, that dream becomes reality.

Mannheim10:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Hohenzollern Castle

With battlements and towers, this castle looks straight out of a storybook. The Neo-Gothic complex dates from 19th century, but there has been a fortress here for almost 1,000 years.

Swabian Alb10:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Sigmaringen Castle

Standing high on a cliff above the Danube, Schloss Sigmaringen was built as a fortress. Over the centuries, it has been transformed into a royal residential palace, complete with fairytale towers and...

Upper Swabia-Allgäu09:30

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CulturePalaces & castles

Meersburg New Palace

Besides baroque garden architecture offers the park at the New Palace Meersburg a fantastic view of the lake.

Lake Constance10:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Lichtenstein Castle

Lichtenstein Castle is also known as the 'fairytale castle of Württemberg', as its architectural style and furnishings are reminiscent of the Romantic period. Thus, it sees itself as a homage to the M...

Lichtenstein09:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Palace

Schwetzingen Castle dates back to the 14th century, when the von Schomberg family provided the then moated castle to Count Palatine Ruprecht. In the following centuries, the area around the castle was...

Schwetzingen09:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg Castle is world famous and the epitome of the German Romantic era.

Heidelberg09:00

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CultureMonasteries & churches

Bebenhausen Monastery and Castle

The medieval monastery complex of Bebenhausen is nestled in the rolling hills of the Schönbuch Nature Park. Some of the buildings were converted into a royal hunting lodge in the 19th century.

Swabian Alb09:00

Go to article

CulturePalaces & castles

Mannheim Baroque Palace

Fancy feeling like an Elector for once? In Mannheim, that dream becomes reality.

Mannheim10:00

Go to article

CulturePalaces & castles

Hohenzollern Castle

With battlements and towers, this castle looks straight out of a storybook. The Neo-Gothic complex dates from 19th century, but there has been a fortress here for almost 1,000 years.

Swabian Alb10:00

Go to article

CulturePalaces & castles

Sigmaringen Castle

Upper Swabia-Allgäu09:30

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CulturePalaces & castles

Meersburg New Palace

Besides baroque garden architecture offers the park at the New Palace Meersburg a fantastic view of the lake.

Lake Constance10:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Lichtenstein Castle

Lichtenstein09:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Palace

Schwetzingen09:00

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CulturePalaces & castles

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg Castle is world famous and the epitome of the German Romantic era.

Heidelberg09:00

Museum Highlights

Daimler and Benz never met, yet they shared a vision that laid the foundation of automotive history. Martin Heidegger was born in Meßkirch and philosophized his way around the world. Today, an old steam train chugs through the idyllic Swabian Forest, delivering letters with a special stamp. What ties these stories together? There’s so much to discover.