The best walks and hikes in Karlsruhe

From February 26, 2026, the castle and catering will be closed until further notice.

Beautiful view over Sulzfeld

The memorial by Ettlingen sculptor Volker Erhard, also known as Voré, was erected in 1969 by order of the municipality of Ruit to commemorate the victims of the wars. Unfortunately, the memorial has been increasingly vandalized in recent years, so that it is now secured by a construction fence.

The Ruiter observation tower stands within the boundaries of the town of Knittlingen (formerly Kleinvillars), but on a field belonging to the town of Bretten, acquired by a family from Ruiter. Before the land consolidation in the 1970s and 80s, the site was part of Ruiter's territory; afterwards, it was part of Kleinvillars', because the boundary line was adjusted to follow the field paths. Previously, the border, which was also the state border between Baden and Württemberg, ran right through the newly created plots. On the other side of the district road is Brettener territory, formerly part of Ruiter's. That's where the tower was originally intended to be. However, the field belongs to someone from Kleinvillars, and he didn't want to sell! (His right.) Building the tower on the Ruiter side of the field path that crosses the district road wasn't possible either, because that area is still designated as a village reserve by the nature park. There would have been no subsidy for the tower there. So, the only remaining option for the Badener tower was the site in Swabia. Now borders unite! The coats of arms of the participating towns and villages, as well as the state, adorning the tower are a symbol of unity after all the divisions of past centuries, and a thank you to everyone involved. On a clear day, from the tower you can see the Palatinate Forest and the Phillipsburg nuclear power plant to the northwest, Ravensburg Castle and the Derdinger Horn hill to the northeast, and the Stromberg hills to the east.

Here you can admire the best-preserved medieval monastic farmstead. For information on the individual buildings, see Wikipedia or visit the site. ... Text of the information panel (with site plan) at the "Witches' Tower": "The 150 x 200 m Amthof (administrative farmstead) is one of the best-preserved medieval monastic farmsteads; it also served as the grange of Herrenalb Abbey for the Kraichgau region. As early as the 10th century, the Weißenburg records mention a Selhof manor in Derdingen. In 1216, Herrenalb, the Cistercian abbey in the Northern Black Forest, is named as the owner of the Pfleghof (administrative farmstead), and by 1252 it was the sole owner of all sovereign rights in Derdingen. Around the mid-15th century, the monks established a monastic office here. Even after the Reformation, the monastic administrative office in Derdingen remained the center of Württemberg's possessions in the Kraichgau. Both the monastic administrator and the Württemberg bailiff resided in what is now the rectory. Since 1534, the farmstead has been referred to as Amthof. [At]" In 1693, a major fire destroyed the wine press, and the chapel's roof truss was also destroyed, along with the cooperage (Bandhaus), a hay barn next to the tithe barn, and the Thieves' Tower, one of four towers in the manor. As late as 1710, the drawbridge at the manor gate was renewed, and iron chains replaced the ropes. In 1717, the church tower received its current spire, replacing the collapsed onion dome, which had housed a guardroom. In 1806, the Derdingen district office was dissolved, and since 1808, the manor house has been the residence of the local priest. As late as 1870, the moat surrounding the manor wall was still partially filled. It wasn't until around 1903 that the manor wall was breached at the Witches' Tower to create a second entrance to the manor. Between 1984 and 1988, the manor was renovated in consultation with the historic preservation authorities. The manor was designated a cultural monument of high importance under The building is a listed historical monument. Since the conversion of the tithe barn into the town hall and the renovation of the administrative building, the former monastic farmstead has once again become the heart of the community. A small exhibition about the history of the farmstead is on display in the Witch Tower!

The present-day castle had two, possibly even three, predecessor structures. After the Baden Margrave Hermann V was granted the town of Ettlingen, founded by the Hohenstaufen dynasty, by Emperor Frederick II, his son, Margrave Rudolf I of Baden, built a castle complex in the mid-13th century – possibly on the remains of a Hohenstaufen predecessor structure. However, no previous structure has yet been identified. The lower floors of the keep in the castle courtyard, which are still preserved today, date from this period. A magnificent Renaissance castle followed in the 16th century. Two round corner towers were added to the south wing, and the keep was given a half-timbered upper floor. The three-wing Renaissance complex surrounding the old keep, completed in 1600, was destroyed along with the entire town by French troops in 1689 during the War of the Palatinate Succession (Wikipedia).

A central location in Oberderdingen. It's a great place to rest in front of the Amthof.

interesting presentation of the different types of fruit