Karlsruhe Palace

Karlsruhe Palace stands in the centre of Karlsruhe, a city laid out in 1715 with the palace tower at its heart and thirty-two straight streets radiating outward like the ribs of a fan. The first wooden structure was soon replaced by stone, then enlarged in the 18th century by Balthasar Neumann and Friedrich von Kesslau under Grand Duke Charles Frederick. The tower was shortened and given a cupola in 1785, while later rulers added pavilions and wings until the monarchy ended in 1918. The palace survived the upheavals of 1848–49 and the destruction of the Second World War, after which it was rebuilt and opened as the Badisches Landesmuseum. Exhibits trace the history of Baden from the Stone Age to the 20th century, including princely apartments, court art and archaeological finds. The museum occupies the former residence of the margraves and grand dukes who shaped the region for two centuries. Visitors walk through state rooms with gilded panelling, porcelain collections and period furnishings arranged around the central cupola. Outside, the palace forecourt opens onto a landscaped garden with avenues of lime trees and a small pond. Beyond the radiating streets, the city’s grid of boulevards and tram lines still points back to the palace, linking modern Karlsruhe with the vision of its founder.