Rastatt
GermanyCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Sub umbra alarum tuarum | Under the shadow of your wings (Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm's motto)
Why visit
The Rastatt Residential Palace is the obvious draw attraction, fully restored baroque interiors, an absurdly grand main staircase, and the ornate Ahnensaal (Hall of Ancestors). The palace also houses the Wehrgeschichtliches Museum (Military History Museum) with weapons spanning 200 years. Schloss Favorite, an even more whimsical pleasure palace 4 km outside town built for Margravine Sibylla Augusta in 1710, is one of Germany's best-preserved porcelain palaces. Use Rastatt as a base for the northern Black Forest, the Murgtal valley climbs into beautiful forested hills, and Baden-Baden's spas just 12 km south.
When to avoid
Rastatt is a small town, nightlife is essentially nonexistent and dining options are limited. Sundays see most shops shuttered. The autobahn A5 corridor runs through, bringing traffic noise to some neighborhoods. Skip the city if you don't have specific baroque or military-history interests, it's not the most visually coherent Baden-Württemberg destination. The palace closes Mondays. Don't mistake it for the much-grander Karlsruhe baroque palace 25 km north.
