Bordering France and Switzerland, this southern German state is filled with fairy tale castles, picturesque villages, and the iconic Black Forest. Neighboring Bavaria might be a bigger household name, but Baden-Württemberg still holds its own as a vacation spot. Top things to do include visiting the quaint castle town of Heidelberg; admiring the Baroque palace of Ludwigsburg; and exploring the state’s underrated capital of Stuttgart. It’s Germany at its most German—even the cuckoo clock heralds from here.
Nature is king here in Baden-Württemberg—the late spring and summer months (May through September) are ideal for exploring this rural stretch of Germany. That’s also when you’ll find the biggest crowds in the hot spot of Heidelberg, which hosts the Heidelberg Castle Festival each June and July. Winter has its distinctive charm, as it’s when Germany’s Christmas markets dole out hot wine. Plus, you can always warm up in one of the state’s natural hot springs.
Deutsche Bahn trains not only link major cities such as Freiburg, Stuttgart, and Heidelberg, but regional links operate throughout much of the German countryside as well. If you know you’ll be hopping multiple trains, then consider investing in the Konus Karte—an unlimited transport pass that lets you forgo paying individual fares for each ride. And, as you’d expect in a region home to the Porsche and the Mercedes Benz headquarters, the roads here are excellent.
You can’t come to Baden-Württemberg without spending some serious time in the Black Forest. Whether you’re looking to hike, ski, photograph centuries-old architecture, or just indulge in the region’s namesake chocolate cake, then look no further than Black Forest National Park. A couple of standout destinations include the roaring Triberg Waterfalls and the postcard-perfect town of Schiltach at the eastern edge of the forest—famous for its half-timbered houses.
