Baden-Württemberg, in Germany's southwest corner, packs a lot of variety into one state: the Black Forest with the Feldberg, Lake Titisee and the Triberg Waterfalls; Lake Constance with Mainau flower island and the monastery island of Reichenau; the Swabian Jura topped by Hohenzollern Castle; romantic Heidelberg on the Neckar; and the capital, Stuttgart, home of two big car museums. Add the Gothic minsters of Ulm and Freiburg and Maulbronn Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
On this page you'll find our top 10 sights in Baden-Württemberg, a one-day plan for Heidelberg, a Black Forest weekend, practical tips on getting there and when to go, and below that every attraction in the state from the tripto.de catalog. Opening hours and prices are listed on each attraction's page. Check them with the operator before your visit, because cable cars, castles and theme parks switch to winter schedules in the fall.
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Castles
Heidelberg
Heidelberg Castle is Germany's most famous castle ruin, a red sandstone palace perched on a wooded hillside above the old town of Heidelberg and the Neckar River. For almost three centuries it was the residence of the Electors Palatine; th…
1. Germany's most famous castle ruin, built of red sandstone, with the Great Tun wine barrel and a pharmacy museum. The funicular from Kornmarkt is included in the ticket.
Gardens & parks
Konstanz
Mainau Island in Lake Constance, part of the city of Konstanz, is Germany's famous "Flower Island" and one of the top day trips in the south of the country. Its roughly 111 acres (45 hectares) hold rose and dahlia gardens, an arboretum beg…
2. A 45-hectare flower island in Lake Constance with a baroque palace, an arboretum and a butterfly house. Kids 12 and under get in free.
Theme parks
Rust
Europa-Park in Rust is Germany's largest theme park and one of the most celebrated amusement parks in the world. Spread over about 235 acres (95 hectares) in the Rhine Valley between the Black Forest and the French border, it offers more t…
3. Germany's biggest theme park, with themed areas for European countries. The closest station is Ringsheim/Europa-Park, with buses to the entrance.
Castles
Bisingen
Hohenzollern Castle, near Hechingen in southwestern Germany, is the ancestral seat of the dynasty that produced the kings of Prussia and the last German emperors. Perched on a 2,805-foot (855 m) mountain at the edge of the Swabian Jura, it…
4. Ancestral castle of the Prussian kings and German emperors, perched at 855 meters on the edge of the Swabian Jura. Online tickets come with a one-hour entry window.
Waterfalls
Triberg im Schwarzwald
The Triberg Waterfalls in the heart of Germany's Black Forest are among the country's most famous waterfalls. In the small town of Triberg, the Gutach River tumbles a total of 163 meters in a chain of cascades through a steep fir forest, w…
5. The Gutach River drops 163 meters in a series of cascades through the forest, right in the town of Triberg. Watch for the tame squirrels along the trail.
Museums
Stuttgart
The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart is one of Germany's great car museums and a must for anyone interested in how the automobile was born. It sits in the Bad Cannstatt district beside the company's Untertürkheim plant and tells the brand…
6. About 160 vehicles on nine levels, from Benz's first motor car to the Silver Arrow race cars. Closed Mondays; kids 12 and under get in free.
Churches & monasteries
Ulm
Ulm Minster in southern Germany is one of the country's greatest Gothic churches, and its 161.53-meter (530 ft) spire is the tallest church tower in Germany. For about 135 years it was the tallest in the world. Rising above the old town of…
7. The world-famous spire is open for climbing, though right now only to the 102-meter level, about 520 steps up narrow spiral stairs.
Churches & monasteries
Freiburg im Breisgau
Freiburg Minster (Freiburger Münster) is the landmark of Freiburg im Breisgau and one of the finest Gothic churches in Germany. Built of red sandstone on the edge of the Black Forest, it is crowned by an openwork spire that the Swiss histo…
8. Freiburg's red sandstone cathedral with a 116-meter openwork spire. Come in the morning for the market around the church and its famous long red sausage.
Churches & monasteries
Maulbronn
Maulbronn Monastery in Baden-Württemberg is considered the best-preserved medieval monastery complex north of the Alps and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Behind its fortified walls lies a complete Cistercian abbey, with…
9. The best-preserved medieval monastery north of the Alps, a UNESCO site since 1993, with cloister, fountain house and farm buildings intact.
Mountains & peaks
Feldberg (Schwarzwald)
The Feldberg is the highest mountain in Germany's Black Forest and in the state of Baden-Württemberg, rising to about 1,494 meters (4,902 feet). Its bald, grassy summit offers views that on clear days stretch from the Vosges in France to t…
10. The Black Forest's highest summit, with a cable car, an observation tower and the glacial Feldsee lake. On clear days you can see the Alps.
Ride the funicular up from Kornmarkt. The castle ticket covers the courtyard, the Great Tun and the German Pharmacy Museum.
Places: Heidelberg Castle
If you have time, continue on the upper funicular to Heidelberg's 567.8-meter home mountain for a wide view over the Rhine plain. Allow two to three hours.
Places: Königstuhl
Back in the old town, cross the 1788 sandstone bridge with its gate towers and bronze monkey. It's free and open all the time.
Places: Old Bridge (Heidelberg)
Climb the steep Schlangenweg path to the Philosophenweg for the classic view of the old town, the bridge and the castle.
Places: Philosophers' Walk
Browse the morning market around the cathedral, then climb 209 steps to the tower gallery at 70 meters.
Places: Freiburg Minster
Take tram line 2 and bus 21 to the valley station, then ride Germany's longest gondola-style cable car to the top in about 20 minutes. It's closed for maintenance November 16 to December 4, 2026.
Places: Schauinsland
Take the Höllental Railway from Freiburg to Titisee. The lakeshore is a few minutes' walk from the station.
Places: Lake Titisee
Bus 7300 runs to Feldberger Hof, where the cable car goes up to the Feldberg tower. The tower is closed in winter.
Places: Feldberg
If you're driving or traveling along the Black Forest Railway, plan one to two hours for the loop trail at the falls.
Places: Triberg Waterfalls
By air: Stuttgart Airport is the state's largest. S-Bahn lines S2 and S3 leave from below the terminal and take about half an hour to Stuttgart Central Station. Frankfurt Airport is convenient for Heidelberg and the north. For Europa-Park and the southern Black Forest, Basel also works: since 2024, the RailCoaster train runs from Basel SBB straight to Europa-Park.
By train: Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Freiburg and Ulm are on ICE high-speed routes. In the Black Forest, regional trains run on the Black Forest Railway (Offenburg–Triberg–Konstanz) and the Höllental Railway (Freiburg–Titisee), both covered by the Deutschland-Ticket. Guest cards such as KONUS, handed out by many Black Forest hotels, include free local buses and trains.
By car: The main routes are the A5 through the Rhine valley, the A8 (Karlsruhe–Stuttgart–Ulm) and the A81 from Stuttgart toward Lake Constance. In Heidelberg, Freiburg and Konstanz, park at the edge of the old town.
Spring through fall is peak season. Mainau's tulips, roses and dahlias bloom from spring into fall, and the island's summer season runs through October 18, 2026. Hohenzollern Castle is open daily through November 1, 2026, and the Triberg Waterfalls keep summer prices until the first winter weather, usually in November.
Late fall and winter bring their own events: Europa-Park runs its Halloween season through November 1, 2026, and its winter season from November 28, 2026. Hohenzollern Castle starts its Royal Winter Magic season on November 20, 2026, and Mainau's Christmas Garden opens November 19, 2026. In winter, the Feldberg is the region's largest ski area.
The Black Forest, Lake Constance, Heidelberg's castle and old town, and Stuttgart's car industry, with the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums. The state is also home to Europa-Park, Germany's largest theme park.
One day is enough for Heidelberg, and a weekend works for Freiburg and the High Black Forest. To add Lake Constance, the Swabian Jura and Stuttgart, plan on about a week.
Quite a lot. The Höllental Railway runs from Freiburg to Lake Titisee, and the Black Forest Railway goes from Offenburg via Triberg to Konstanz. For the Feldberg, take a regional train to Feldberg-Bärental and bus 7300 from there.
Europa-Park, the Wilhelma zoo and botanical garden in Stuttgart, the squirrels at the Triberg Waterfalls, and Mainau island, where kids 12 and under get in free. Kids 12 and under are also free at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
Yes, but currently only to the 102-meter level, about 520 steps up narrow spiral stairs. The upper gallery at 143 meters is closed for safety reasons, and construction work partly blocks the view from the first platform.
April through October, when boats run regularly and Mainau is in bloom. Winter is quieter and cheaper, with lower admission on Mainau and the Christmas Garden during Advent.
Castles
Heidelberg
Heidelberg Castle is Germany's most famous castle ruin, a red sandstone palace perched on a wooded hillside above the old town of Heidelberg and the Neckar River. For almost three centuries it was the residence of the Electors Palatine; th…
Theme parks
Rust
Europa-Park in Rust is Germany's largest theme park and one of the most celebrated amusement parks in the world. Spread over about 235 acres (95 hectares) in the Rhine Valley between the Black Forest and the French border, it offers more t…
Castles
Bisingen
Hohenzollern Castle, near Hechingen in southwestern Germany, is the ancestral seat of the dynasty that produced the kings of Prussia and the last German emperors. Perched on a 2,805-foot (855 m) mountain at the edge of the Swabian Jura, it…
Churches & monasteries
Ulm
Ulm Minster in southern Germany is one of the country's greatest Gothic churches, and its 161.53-meter (530 ft) spire is the tallest church tower in Germany. For about 135 years it was the tallest in the world. Rising above the old town of…
Churches & monasteries
Maulbronn
Maulbronn Monastery in Baden-Württemberg is considered the best-preserved medieval monastery complex north of the Alps and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Behind its fortified walls lies a complete Cistercian abbey, with…
Waterfalls
Triberg im Schwarzwald
The Triberg Waterfalls in the heart of Germany's Black Forest are among the country's most famous waterfalls. In the small town of Triberg, the Gutach River tumbles a total of 163 meters in a chain of cascades through a steep fir forest, w…
Gardens & parks
Konstanz
Mainau Island in Lake Constance, part of the city of Konstanz, is Germany's famous "Flower Island" and one of the top day trips in the south of the country. Its roughly 111 acres (45 hectares) hold rose and dahlia gardens, an arboretum beg…
Museums
Stuttgart
The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart is one of Germany's great car museums and a must for anyone interested in how the automobile was born. It sits in the Bad Cannstatt district beside the company's Untertürkheim plant and tells the brand…
Zoos
Stuttgart
The Wilhelma in Stuttgart is a rare combination of zoo and botanical garden, and one of the most popular things to do in southwest Germany. Set in the Bad Cannstatt district, it houses around 11,000 animals of about 1,200 species among Moo…
Mountains & peaks
Feldberg (Schwarzwald)
The Feldberg is the highest mountain in Germany's Black Forest and in the state of Baden-Württemberg, rising to about 1,494 meters (4,902 feet). Its bald, grassy summit offers views that on clear days stretch from the Vosges in France to t…
Lakes
Titisee-Neustadt
Lake Titisee in Germany's Black Forest is one of the country's most famous lakes and a favorite day trip from Freiburg. Carved by an Ice Age glacier and surrounded by dark fir forests at about 845 meters (2,770 feet) above sea level, it of…
Castles
Meersburg
Meersburg Castle on Lake Constance is often called the oldest inhabited castle in Germany. Its stocky Dagobert Tower rises above the old town of Meersburg, and inside, more than 35 furnished rooms trace castle life from the dungeon to the…
Palaces
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg Palace (Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg), just north of Stuttgart, is one of the largest Baroque palaces in Germany and is often called the "Versailles of Swabia." With about 452 rooms, two churches, an 18th-century theater and a v…
Zoos
Salem
A few kilometres from Lake Constance, a monkey suddenly sits across from you at the side of the path, scratches its head and ignores you. At Affenberg Salem almost 200 Barbary macaques live in more than 20 hectares of woodland, with no fen…
Waterfalls
Oppenau
The All Saints Waterfalls (Allerheiligen-Wasserfälle) near Oppenau are the largest natural waterfalls in the northern Black Forest. The Grindenbach stream tumbles down seven cascades through a narrow rocky gorge, and a trail of stairs and…
Landmarks
Heidelberg
The Old Bridge in Heidelberg (Alte Brücke) is the red sandstone bridge that has defined the city's skyline since the 1780s. It spans the Neckar River between the Old Town and the Neuenheim district, and from its arches you get the classic…
Castles
Baden-Baden
Hohenbaden Castle, known locally as the Old Castle (Altes Schloss), towers above the spa town of Baden-Baden in Germany's Black Forest. It was the ancestral seat of the Margraves of Baden, the family that gave its name to the whole region.…
Old towns & squares
Freiburg im Breisgau
The old town of Freiburg im Breisgau is one of the most charming city centers in southern Germany, set at the edge of the Black Forest. Its lanes are crowned by the Gothic Freiburg Minster and laced with the famous Bächle, small water chan…
Old towns & squares
Schwäbisch Hall
Few old towns in Baden-Württemberg are built as steeply as Schwäbisch Hall. Half-timbered houses climb the slopes of the Kocher valley, lanes turn into staircases, and above the market square St. Michael's Church sits on top of a huge flig…
Old towns & squares
Tübingen
The old town of Tübingen is one of the most charming historic centers in southern Germany: colorful half-timbered houses lining the Neckar River, steep cobbled lanes, a painted town hall and a Renaissance castle on the hill above. Only a s…
Palaces
Mannheim
Mannheim Palace (Barockschloss Mannheim) is one of the largest palaces in Europe, a red sandstone Baroque residence more than 400 meters wide in the middle of Mannheim's city center. Built for the Electors of the Palatinate, it now houses…
Churches & monasteries
Weingarten
The Basilica of St. Martin in Weingarten is the largest Baroque church in Germany. Its 67-meter dome, 102-meter length and twin-towered facade make it one of the highlights of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route, and inside you will find a fam…
Lakes
Blaubeuren
The Blautopf in Blaubeuren is a spring of almost unreal color: a funnel-shaped pool on the edge of the Swabian Alb that glows turquoise to deep blue, about 10 miles west of Ulm in Baden-Württemberg. It is the source of the Blau River, the…
Gardens & parks
Ludwigsburg
Blühendes Barock ("Baroque in Bloom") in Ludwigsburg is one of Germany's best-known garden shows, covering about 30 hectares (74 acres) around Ludwigsburg Residential Palace. Formal Baroque flower beds, English-style landscape gardens, a f…