Travel and experience

Baden-Württemberg – my holiday destination

Whether you come to enjoy our landscapes, our culture, art, nature or for pure personal indulgence and relaxation: In Baden-Württemberg you will find just what you have been looking for. Our State offers a variety which is second to none. With over 50 million overnight stays (2015), Baden-Württemberg is the second most popular travel destination in Germany. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you to our homeland and to introduce you to the many qualities our State has to offer.

An attractive living environment, an unspoilt natural habitat and a wealth of art and culture, no shortage of festivities and leisure facilities provides the ideal balance to the often stressful daily grind of work. Culinary enjoyment in the form of good food and excellent wines is all part and parcel of the experience. All of these facets make Baden-Württemberg what it is - a place with unlimited experiences to offer.

Nature's treasures

Delightful landscapes such as the Black Forest and Swabian Alb area, the Neckartal Valley and Lake Constance, Hohenlohe and Allgäu offer unforgettable impressions just waiting to be discovered. What you will find here: forests, mountains, plains, moorland, - an unspoilt nature to be enjoyed in over 2,000 nature and landscape conservation areas. Further lakes, ponds and rivers suitable for bathing and also walking and hiking trails. That all with pure air and a pleasant climate.

Relaxation, rest, regeneration

The superlative wellness vacation: Baden-Württemberg's mineral spas and convalescent resorts combine health, fitness and beauty with culture, art and culinary delights. To escape the daily treadmill or to give a lift to your health, nowhere else in Germany is there more on offer to pamper the body, the soul or the spirit than in the number one spa state: Baden-Württemberg. Our State is home to 56 spas and health resorts. Health resort tourism features particularly as a key element of the Black Forest economy.

Rich cultural landscape

This is a region in which art and culture are more closely linked into the everyday lives of the population than almost anywhere else. Multifaceted, adventurous and backed by intensive government support. The Stuttgart Ballet is world class, and the State Opera in Stuttgart has enjoyed a reputation as the premier venue in the German speaking world for many years, voted "Opera of the Year" many times in succession. And Stuttgart's Staatsgalerie is famous for one of the most important Classic Modern collections. But art and culture are not restricted to the state's capital city. The opposite is true: Baden-Württemberg is home to two state theatres, three regional theatres, nine municipal theatres, the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden and well over 100 small theatres. A wealth of drama and film festivals, music festivals, musicals, orchestras and cultural initiatives offer plenty of choice when it comes to quality entertainment. Eleven state-run and over 1,000 municipal and private museums supplement the Baden-Württemberg's rich cultural landscape.

Living tradition, history and heritage

The Romans, the Staufen dynasty, the Allemannians, dukes and kings have all left their unmistakable traces on the face of our cultural heritage - the Limes Road, the Roman boundary wall and Hohenzollern Castle, the seat of the last German imperial dynasty. A wealth of large and small castles, palaces and ruins bear witness to a rich and eventful history, a heritage which in some cases is still very much alive in our customs and traditions. One such example is the Swabian-Allemannian Fasnacht held at the end of Lent every spring, when traditional costumes and historic wooden masks symbolizing the banishment of Winter.

Leisure and enjoyment

Alongside historic cities such as Heidelberg, Freiburg or Tübingen, it is the carefully tended villages and the urban town centres which paint the true character of our state. Great importance is attached to hospitality, and the people of Germany's southwest have a tremendous capacity for celebration and enjoyment. This love of life is reflected in the many wine and town festivals, fairs and street parties held all around the region. Different, but by no means less enjoyable, ways to spend leisure time are provided by a wide selection of parks and adventure pools, leisure centres, wildlife reserves and zoos, museums, working mills and mines, as well as monuments and memorials.

Good weather (almost) all the time

Statistically, you have a great chance of enjoying good weather as a holidaymaker in Baden-Württemberg. The Breisgau is Germany’s warmest region, while Klippeneck holds the record for annual hours of sunshine. On average, the sun has shone over the past 30 years for 1607 hours a year in Baden-Württemberg. With 1,948 hours of sunshine, Baden-Württemberg was one of the sunniest States in 2011. With 2,177 hours of sunshine, Leutkirch-Herlach in the Württemberg Allgäu district was actually the sunniest place in Germany. In winter, the altitude of the Black Forest usually provides optimum conditions for winter sport.