City Festival 2024

City Festival Karlsruhe

Who would have thought: Karlsruhe has more to offer than just construction sites!
Sure, it’s more the credit of Karlsruhe Marketing and Event than of the city council and city administration. Plus, the beautiful autumn weather with plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures – as long as a calm corner can be found. But with the number of people, the wind has a tough time.

The Kaiserstraße also attracts on this day with many open shops (Sunday shopping!). Our first stop is at THE ATARI SHOW. A one-man show at its finest, accompanied by plenty of suitable music. Since everything is presented only with music and no words, the children are also enthusiastic. And they are the first to put money in the artist's case. He’s earned it fairly.

Just a few meters further is the next notable event: THE BRIDGE presented by six artists on ropes, stretched from one side to the other. A lot of body control can be seen here.

So it goes the whole length of Kaiserstraße. The large wooden wheel; the young woman hanging on the cloths from the crane; the floating carpet, driven by a piano. The steaming machines from the Netherlands with their antique-clad drivers could have sprung from the imagination of Jules Verne. One common thread among all the artists was the joy of this festival.

We were able to enjoy a lot – even if at some places, many spectators made it hard for smaller people to see the artists.
Then a stroll over Friedrichsplatz. This is the square for children of all ages. Sitting on picnic blankets, they dig with spoons for “jewels” in the sandpit. Those who dare can (well secured!) test in the climbing park how wobbly it gets when they have to walk over a rope. But it seems like fun. Many children also find joy in games and similar activities.

Then we leave all the beautiful things behind us and head towards Stephansplatz. Here, all kinds of international delicacies are waiting to be discovered by us.

It’s almost impossible to keep an eye on all the stands. So let’s stroll through completely and then specifically head towards the corresponding exotic dish. As an appetizer, maybe Caucasian dumplings, and then a bit further, zebra meat? Or something vegetarian from Ghana? Döner, wraps, plenty of different burgers (including veggie at Rosas Burgerbox), Argentine rump steak, authentic food from Cuba and roast pig from Italy in flatbread – exactly my taste. At all 30 stands, longer lines formed in the nice weather, and the set-up beer benches could only accommodate the enthusiasts because all the people squeezed in.

We certainly did not see and taste all the beautiful things of the day. We were satisfied with a fan beer at the market square to conclude.
This trip was worth it because Karlsruhe CAN DO MORE THAN CONSTRUCTION SITES.

See you soon!