What to do in Baden-Württemberg? Where is it most beautiful – Swabian Alb or Black Forest? Or Lake Constance after all? Sights, highlights & insider tips for your trip to Baden-Württemberg.
Nature lovers, hikers, shopping queens (and kings), wellness fans, city trip fans, wine lovers, forest bathers or outdoor adventurers – there is something for everyone. Vacationing in Baden-Württemberg is like finding the perfect solution.
You just have to decide which region suits your vacation wishes best. In this article you will find my tips for some of the most beautiful Baden-Württemberg destinations.
Best things to do in Baden Württemberg – my 3 highlights
#1 Trekking: My favorite tours in Ländle
The Black Forest, Lake Constance, but also Schönbuch and the lesser known Heckengäu – hiking in Baden-Württemberg is fun for me almost everywhere. But my absolute favorites are the Swabian Alb and hikes in the vineyards. The Württemberg Wine Trail runs right through the city, so you can combine hiking wonderfully with a nice weekend trip to Stuttgart. In the Swabian Alb, I especially love the many premium hiking trails. They are perfectly signposted, so you can just start walking without a map and enjoy the landscape.
Lichtenstein Castle
#2 Wine: Excursions to the most beautiful wine-growing villages between the Neckar, Enz and Rhine rivers
Where else can you find vineyards in the middle of the city? In Stuttgart! Indulgence is never far away here. But the Stuttgart region also shines with real gems in the surrounding area: picturesque wine villages such as Besigheim, Bönnigheim, Vaihingen an der Enz or Marbach am Neckar are perfect destinations for excursions from Stuttgart.
At least as beautiful: the picturesque Baden winegrowing villages between Markgräflerland and Kaiserstuhl to Ortenau and Kraichgau in the north. Perfect for a road trip on the Baden Wine Route or a bike tour on the new Baden Wine Cycle Path.
#3 City Breaks
Baden-Württemberg’s cities like Tübingen, Constance, Baden-Baden, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn or Freiburg are charming alternatives to outdoor activities – one more beautiful than the other. Size is not everything after all.
But with Stuttgart, we also have a real big city here in the south. And it’s just perfect for a weekend break. Stuttgart’s sights, insider tips, program suggestions and everything else you need to know can be found in my free Stuttgart city guide.
Best things to do in Baden Württemberg: Swabian Alb
Why you should visit the Swabian Alb?
When I moved to the region almost ten years ago, the Swabian Alb was only a vague concept to me – and still a real insider tip that locals preferred to keep to themselves. Understandable.
The breathtakingly beautiful landscape makes outdoor fans‘ hearts beat faster: Juniper heaths, orchards, mountain cones, caves, waterfalls and forests make every tour a pleasure. Especially at the Albtrauf often with a grandiose view, not infrequently on imposing castles. Here hiking dreams come true.
Sure, it can get a little crowded at some vantage points on the weekend, but as soon as you move on, you have nature to yourself again while hiking. The Swabian Alb stretches between Stuttgart and Lake Constance.
Things to do on the Swabian Alb
Some of the most beautiful destinations in the Swabian Alb, where I always like to go: Großes Lautertal with Wimsener Cave, fairy-tale Lichtenstein Castle with the nearby Nebelhöhle, Blautopf in Blaubeuren, Hohenzollern Castle and the wildly romantic Urach Waterfall.
Hiking on Swabian Alb
When hiking in the Swabian Alb, I especially like the typical ups and downs of the low mountain range and the amazing views along the Alb ridge. A bit of fitness is not bad, but most of the tours are easily manageable even for casual hikers.
The premium hiking trails are especially beautiful, here are a few of my favorites:
- Hike from Raichberg to Hohenzollern Castle: fantastic view from the Zeller Horn and lots of variety along the way
- Dreifürstensteig: first crisp up to the Dreifürstenstein with great views from the Albtrauf and later colorful orchards
- Lichtenstein Castle and Nebelhöhle: fabulous photo motifs plus colorful nature mix of forest and meadows
My Swabian Alb gourmet tip: Alb lentils and Albsamico.
Things to do in Baden-Württemberg: Lake Constance
Why you should visit Lake Constance?
Swabian sea – really wonderful! Especially in the Mediterranean flair around Constance, I always feel a bit like I’m on the Mediterranean. The ships in the harbor, plantains on the waterfront, palm trees on the Mainau, picturesque Meersburg and the surrounding vineyards … it feels like a vacation in the south. And it is – in Germany.
And if that’s not enough for you, Lake Constance is bordered by three other countries.
Things to do in Konstanz, Lake Constance
Around Lake Constance there are several sights: There is of course Constance itself, Meersburg, but also Lindau with its unique harbor entrance.
By ship, you can easily combine several destinations into a mini-cruise or a day trip, for example from Constance to Bregenz. From Friedrichshafen, you can take the ferry to Romanshorn, from where a trip to nearby St. Gallen is worthwhile.
Best things to do in Baden Württemberg – My Lake Constance tips:
My Lake Constance culinary tip: Bodenseefelchen and the wines from Lake Constance.
Excursion destinations in Baden-Württemberg: Black Forest
Why the Black Forest is worth it
The Black Forest is probably the best-known of Baden-Württemberg’s travel destinations. Dense, deep green forests, gorges, lakes and idyllic villages are ideal for all those who enjoy an individual vacation – outdoor enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. Even the Bollenhut and cuckoo clock are (back) in fashion.
Top Attractions in Black Forest
From the Upper Black Forest in the south around the Feldberg to the Northern Black Forest near Calw, the possibilities are immense – from trekking camps to wine caching. That’s why I’m only recommending a few of my personal highlights here.
Hiking and enjoyment go particularly well together in the Black Forest. The Black Forest Gourmet Trails or the Baiersbronn Hiking Heaven combine the most beautiful places in nature with delicious breaks.
You can walk at eye level with the birds on the treetop path on the Sommerberg in Bad Wildbad, while the new suspension bridge next door awaits those with a head for heights, as well as a forest swimming pool. You should bring a basket with you for blueberry season, as there are plenty of these delicious fruits to pick here in the northern Black Forest.
Here are a few more tours that I like to recommend:
Best things to do in Baden Württemberg – My Black Forest tips:
- Wine trip to the Kaiserstuhl
- Forest bathing in the Black Forest
- With the ranger through the Wutach Gorge
- The Raimartihof and the black eye
- Culinary hike in the Ortenau
- Sasbachwalden, the Black Forest wine village
- Hornisgrinde und Mummelsee
- Wild crocuses in Zavelstein
My Black Forest gourmet tip: Black Forest gateau
Excursion destinations in Baden-Württemberg: Heilbronn region
Why the Heilbronn region is worthwhile
The places around Heilbronn are just a stone’s throw from Stuttgart and therefore great destinations for excursions. I also really like the city itself, especially since it was redesigned for the 2019 Garden Show with exciting architecture and green oases in the center.
Excursion destinations in the Heilbronn region
In spring and fall, it’s great fun to hike or cycle through the hilly vineyards. Eight out of ten Württemberg wines grow here. The 470-kilometer Württemberg Wine Trail also runs through the region. On many weekends, wine stands in the vineyards or broom taverns invite you to taste the good wines.
My Heilbronn country tips:
- Tripsdrill wildlife paradise
- Tripsdrill Adventure Park
- Cycle tour from Lauffen am Neckar to the Heuchelberger Warte around the Zweifelberg
- Hiking on the Lemberger Weg (Brackenheim)
- Three-lake tour in the Stromberg-Heuchelberg Nature Park
My tip for enjoying the Heilbronn region: the local wines, especially the Lemberger.
Excursion destinations in Baden-Württemberg: Stuttgart region – sights & insider tips
Stuttgart is modern, cosmopolitan – and quite attractive as a city break destination. Ideal for a short weekend break and perfect as a starting point for excursions in Baden-Württemberg.
Stuttgart’s charm is the mix. The variety. Whether you’re a shopping queen, wine lover or nature freak – the Swabian metropolis has something for everyone.
In my City Guide Stuttgart you will not only find lots of sights and insider tips, but also a suggested program for a perfect weekend in Stuttgart that you can print out.
Best things to do in Baden Württemberg – My Stuttgart tips:
- Stuttgart old town: stroll from Schlossplatz to the bean quarter
- enjoy the view from the Stuttgart television tower
- Visit the Porsche Museum or Mercedes Benz Museum
- take a ride on the Zacke
- hike along the Blaustrümpflerweg trail
- wine tasting at the Uhlbach Wine Museum
- shop in the market hall and have a picnic on the Karlshöhe
Read the german article: 30+ coole Outdoor-Ausflugsziele in Baden-Württemberg
See also my Travel Guide Book: 52 Eskapaden in und um Stuttgart
