Tips & Tricks for living in Karlsruhe
With 300,000 inhabitants, Karlsruhe is one of the largest cities in Baden-Württemberg alongside the state capital Stuttgart, Mannheim and Freiburg, and with 40,000 students, the fan-shaped city is also a student city. Accordingly, there is a wide range of activities (not only) for young people. Karlsruhe is located in the Rhine valley between the northern Black Forest, the Palatinate and the Vosges - the perfect starting point for excursions into the wonderful surroundings, where there is much to discover.
Karlsruhe lies exactly on the 49th parallel, this leads directly through the Zoological City Garden through it. It is also marked as such, so you can make yourself a picture of it and look at the zoo besides. Karlsruhe is a green city and so there are other beautiful parks or forests that invite you to linger, picnic or go for a walk: The Günther-Klotz-Anlage is located in the west of the city and is perfect for skating, playing a round of roundnet or drinking a beer in the evening sun. In the "Klotze" - as the park is affectionately called by the locals - every summer there is "THE FEST" a large family and music festival for young and old. The Castle Garden borders directly on the South Campus and is therefore easy to reach. Here you can also spend very good time with friends and visit the nearby botanical garden with its orangery and palm house. Take a look, why not do it tomorrow between lectures, it's worth it!
The ultimate means of transportation in Karlsruhe is the bike. If you don't have one yet and want to buy a used bike for a small budget, check out one of the many bike flea markets. In Durlach and in the Nordweststadt there is at least one flea market every year. Maybe you will also find something in a bike store that checks old bikes and sells them for a small price.
A little tip: Be sure to get a good lock, because bicycles are stolen all the time in Karlsruhe. And it's best to always lock it to a lamppost or directly to a bike stand!
Since 2015, the spectacular Schlosslichtspiele For this, the castle is bathed in color with colorful light projections, visitors can participate interactively, and there are various shows with ever-changing mottos. Exciting what is technically possible, and very beautiful to watch! And for free, too! It's worth a visit!
On the first Saturday in August, the Karlsruhe Museum Night KAMUNA attracts visitors young and old to the museums and institutions that are open until late at night. The participating museums organize a colorful program with guided tours, concerts, readings, hands-on activities, films, theater and much more around their collections and special exhibitions. Even if you are not a museum-goer, the KAMUNA is a special highlight in Karlsruhe that you should have experienced!
If you prefer to go to the cinema or theater, you will also find what you are looking for in Karlsruhe: There are numerous cinemas with different programs and special performances as well as the Baden State Theater. Here, tragic and comic operas are performed as well as classical and modern plays, ballet and classical concerts. Students receive a discount and can experience great things for a small price. The Center for Art and Media ZKMis a unique cultural institution worldwide: Here you can experience the classical arts such as painting, photography, sculpture as well as film, video, media art, music and theater digitally and interactively.
And one last tip: The Baden State Library BLB not only has more than two million books in its stacks, but also offers a rich cultural and educational program. In addition, the library shows the cultural treasures of the state of Baden-Württemberg in changing exhibitions. And if you can't find a place to study in the KIT library, drop by the BLB. Here, too, there are many quiet study and work places, also for learning in a group! The BLB is very centrally located and can be reached by bike in 5 minutes from Campus Süd.
You can find even more information about living in Karlsruhe on the pages of Study and Teaching.