I Love My Neighborhood: Südweststadt, Karlsruhe

In this series, I ask expats to share the joys of local life they’ve found in their corner of the world. If you’re just joining in now, check out other cities that have been covered so far here.

Remember last week when I was in Switzerland and said I’d start posting again once I returned to Paris?

Well, I was in Paris for all of three gloriously sunny days…before I got called in for a last-minute business trip to Italy. (My first time in this country I’ve wanted to visit forever and I won’t see anything because I’ll be working nonstop. Perfetto.)

So while I’m in northern Italy for the next couple days slaving over magazine edits and photo layouts, enjoy the following guest post from Alex — an American living in Germany whose blog I adore (though I keep missing her every time she’s in Paris!) — which also marks the return of my I Love My Neighborhood expat series!

Alex: Why I Love Südweststadt

The first time I rode through my neighborhood on my bicycle, I was with a group trekking to a party in the Südweststadt (southwest city) for the first time. It was unanimous opinion among the group that it was certainly the prettiest part of Karlsruhe. There were old, high-ceiled apartments, tree-lined streets, bakeries and neighborhood corner stores – heck, it actually looked and felt European (a trait that the relatively young European city of Karlsruhe seems to lack). At the time, I never knew I would call this area home. A new job and apartment hunt later, I found myself back in Südweststadt and realizing there was even more to it than the surface.

Südweststadt is calm. There is not much auto traffic throughout the neighborhood and the abundance of trees decorate the residential surroundings.The tram lines run around, not through the neighborhood creating accessibility without the noise and dangers that come along with the public transit lines. The area is dotted with parks and playgrounds and the nearby hospital reassure everyone that help is never far away. On any given morning, I can be at a bakery, ice cream parlor, or Döner shop, by foot within five minutes — what more does one need, after all?

Quiet Centrality

The Südweststadt captures the feel of a homey neighborhood right in the middle of the city. Neighborhood bakeries, groceries, and restaurants dot the streets, but the franchises and big box stores are nowhere to be seen. However, these larger retailers lie just out the outskirts of the neighborhood, so within the city residents have a clean, green feel with all the necessities nearby. The houses in the area also all have particular garden spaces for summer barbecues and gatherings. Any of Karlsruhe’s main squares and attractions can be reached in 10 minutes or less by bike. Marktplatz (the main square), the mall, the train station, and the Schlossgarten are all convenient by both tram and bicycle, without having the constant traffic associated with these popular gathering points.

Classic Meets Modern

Karlsruhe is a modern city proud of its engineers and technological advancements. Much of the city reflects this, but the Südweststadt still sports a classic brick architecture with smal balconies and dramatic rooftops. However, most the most notable building in the area is the ZKM, a world renowned media art museum that shows off Karlsruhe’s mechanical mindedness. I love how the two personalities mesh right together in the Südweststadt to create an attractive part of the city.

Günther-Klotz-Anlage

The Günther-Klotz-Anlage is a large city park lying right outside the neighborhood. With a pond for row boats, beach volleyball courts, bike paths, playgrounds, a large artificial hill looking over the park, the Alb creek running through, and greenery for miles, it’s no wonder it is a popular hangout for people all over Karlsruhe and home to Karlsruhe’s large outdoor music festival, Das Fest, that takes place over a weekend each July. It is one of the largest recreational areas in Germany.

———

About the author: Alex is Texas expat misplaced in the land of pretzels and punctuality (that’d be Germany, people). Her journey began as an au pair, but the year passed too fast and she found herself unready to leave. A bit of fairy dust later, Alex went from party-for-a-year-abroad to full-time German wannabe and expat as she transitioned into working and living in Germany. Denglish is now her preferred language and she firmly believes smiling solves all problems. Alex also runs a European travel planning business. Find her on blabbering about at ifs ands & Butts, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

All photos courtesy of the author. Want to feature your neighborhood in this series? Drop a line!

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10 Comments

  • Reply
    Ashley of Ashley Abroad
    July 15, 2013 at 16:20

    Great post! I personally had a blast in Karlsruhe… thanks again Alex for hosting me!

  • Reply
    travellingmo
    July 16, 2013 at 19:43

    That looks so lovely! And Edna, I am always supremely jealous of your “Where Am I?” section. Oh, nothing much, just back from Switzerland, currently in Italy, and soon to be returning home to Paris. I want your life woman!!

  • Reply
    Chasing the Donkey
    July 24, 2013 at 23:53

    I hope the ‘slaving’ you did went well. Awesome read, I’ll be adding this place to my bucket list.

  • Reply
    Marie
    July 26, 2013 at 17:08

    lovely! :)

  • Reply
    Jen
    July 29, 2013 at 03:50

    Great post, love switzerland except for the prices hehehe
    keep writing, great blog.

  • Reply
    Darla
    August 6, 2013 at 19:39

    What a dreamy place to live! It seems like a perfect place for my husband and I. He loves the convenience of the big city, but I love the quiet and greenery of the rural areas. We may have to look into this area a little more closely sometime. Thanks for sharing your awesome neighborhood with us!

  • Reply
    CandidCuisine
    August 14, 2013 at 09:44

    Nice neighborhood photos!

  • Reply
    Arianwen
    September 4, 2013 at 06:31

    I’ve never been there but it looks lovely! I enjoy exploring new places on a bike. You see so much more than you would walking around.

  • Reply
    Audrey - That Backpacker
    September 8, 2013 at 07:02

    I got to visit Karlsruhe on a day trip! It such a great little city. I remember having a picnic in the gardens behind the palace. :)

  • Reply
    Makis Giokas
    September 16, 2013 at 03:50

    It really seems like a lovely neighborhood!

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