Karlsruhe is unlike any other German city in its layout: 32 streets radiate outward from the Schloss like spokes from a hub, a Baroque urban plan that gives the city its nickname, "the fan city." At the centre of the market square, a sandstone pyramid marks the tomb of the city's founder. Founded in 1715 as a grand-ducal residential city, it was built from scratch as an expression of Enlightenment rationalism — the geometry still legible today on any map.
The city is home to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), one of Germany's oldest and most respected technical universities, giving it a large student population and a lively, unpretentious atmosphere. It is also Germany's "Residence of Law," housing both the Federal Constitutional Court and the Federal Court of Justice — their legal legacy made tangible at the Platz der Grundrechte outside the courts building.
For visitors, the highlights are cultural: the Badisches Landesmuseum inside the Schloss, the Staatliche Kunsthalle with its Grünewald altarpiece, and the ZKM Center for Art and Media — one of the most innovative media art museums in the world. The Schlosspark and city gardens are genuinely impressive, stretching from the station to the city centre and beyond.
Karlsruhe also works well as a base for the Black Forest, reachable within an hour.