Karlsruhe, also known as the "Gateway to the Black Forest", is situated in one of the most beautiful regions of Europe and is an ideal starting point for journeys through Germany, France and Switzerland.

As a major traffic hub, the city is well connected to the main motorways and rail network. With the ICE, Karlsruhe can be reached in just one hour from the Frankfurt airport and in less than two hours from the EuroAirport Basel.

In Karlsruhe culture enthusiasts will get their money's worth. The city offers a diverse museum landscape with the Landesmuseum in Karlsruhe Castle, the Staatliche Kunsthalle with its impressive collection and the Museum of Natural History with its fascinating vivarium.

With around 316,000 people, Karlsruhe is the second largest city in Baden-Württemberg. Karlsruhe is well-known for its history, as well as cultural and historical buildings.

The striking Karlsruhe Baroque Castle was built between 1715 and 1718. It served margraves, then electors and great-grandparents of Baden for 200 years as a residential and government seat. The Karlsruhe castle is the center of Karlsruhe's city plan, the so-called "fan", formed by 32 radial roads. Particularly well visible is this from the castle tower, on which the visitor can climb. In the Karlsruhe castle itself, various exhibitions and events can be viewed. Around the castle Karlsruhe offers the perfect opportunity to relax in the castle parks, go on a sport or just have a break.

The Pyramid on the Market square is the landmark of Karlsruhe. It stands between the Town Hall and the Town Church. Under the Pyramid is the crypt of the Concordia church, which was demolished in 1807. Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach, the founder and planner of the city, should be buried here. The above-mentioned interior is not connected with the sarcophagus of the margrave.

The Botanical garden is located between the Castle garden, the Orangerie and the Federal Constitutional Court. More than 40,000 different plants from all over the world grow there. In the garden, surrounded by fountains, green trees and flowers in various colors one can relax on a bench with a cup of coffee, while in the greenhouse one can admire: sculptures, cactuses, palm trees, birds and much more for curious visitors.

The Tower Hill (Turmberg) is the landmark of Durlach. Since 1888 the Turmbergbahn has been climbing up the hill. In the back of the hill is a large playground for children as well as the Waldseilpark Karlsruhe. Besides gastronomy and wine-tasting, you can look forward to a unique view of Karlsruhe.

Karlsruhe offers one of the best-known places for media and art enthusiasts. The ZKM contains exhibitions on subjects such as acoustics, images, new media and much more. In the industrial building of a former ammunition factory, visitors can actively participate in exhibitions. Research and production, exhibitions and events as well as archives and collections are combined in the ZKM. The visitor is given the opportunity to discuss art and science.

For gourmets, Karlsruhe is worth a culinary discovery trip. The Baden cuisine is widely known and offers many regional specialties. It is distinguished by its high quality and the use of regional products. The proximity to France is evident not only in the local cuisine but also in the excellent wines.

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It's located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. Its name translates to "White city". The urban area of the City of Belgrade has a population of 1.23 million, while over 1.65 million people live within its administrative limits. Its metropolitan territory is divided into 17 municipalities, each with its own local council. Belgrade is classified as a Beta- Global City.

One of the most important prehistoric cultures of Europe, the Vinča culture, evolved within the Belgrade area in the 6th millennium BC. In antiquity, Thraco-Dacians inhabited the region, and after 279 BC Celts conquered the city, naming it Singidūn.

In 1521, Belgrade was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and became the seat of the Sanjak of Smederevo. It frequently passed from Ottoman to Habsburg rule, which saw the destruction of most of the city during the Austro-Ottoman wars. Belgrade was again named the capital of Serbia in 1841. Northern Belgrade remained the southernmost Habsburg post until 1918, when the city was reunited. As a strategic location, the city was battled over in 115 wars and razed 44 times. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia from its creation in 1918.

During the post-war period, Belgrade grew rapidly as the capital of the renewed Yugoslavia, developing as a major industrial center. In 1948, construction of New Belgrade started. In 1958, Belgrade's first television station began broadcasting. In 1961, the conference of Non-Aligned Countries was held in Belgrade under Tito's chairmanship. In 1962, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport was built.

Belgrade hosts many annual international cultural events, including the Film Festival, Theatre Festival, Summer Festival, Music Festival, Book Fair, Eurovision Song Contest 2008, and the Beer Fest. The Nobel Prize winning author Ivo Andrić wrote his most famous work, The Bridge on the Drina, in Belgrade.Other prominent Belgrade authors include Branislav Nušić, Miloš Crnjanski, Borislav Pekić, Milorad Pavić and Meša Selimović.

Most of Serbia's film industry is based in Belgrade. FEST is an annual film festival that held since 1971, and, through 2013, had been attended by four million people and had presented almost 4,000 films.

The city was one of the main centers of the Yugoslav new wave in the 1980s: VIS Idoli, Ekatarina Velika, Šarlo Akrobata and Električni Orgazam were all from Belgrade. Other notable Belgrade rock acts include Riblja Čorba, Bajaga i Instruktori and Partibrejkers.

There are many foreign cultural institutions in Belgrade, including the Spanish Instituto Cervantes, the German Goethe-Institut and the French Institut français, which are all located in the central pedestrian area of Knez Mihailova Street. Other cultural centers in Belgrade are American Corner, Austrian Cultural Forum, British Council, Chinese Confucius Institute, Canadian Cultural Center, Hellenic Foundation for Culture, Italian Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Iranian Culture Center, Azerbaijani Culture Center and Russian Center for Science and Culture. European Union National Institutes for Culture operates a cluster of cultural centres from the EU.

Belgrade has a reputation for offering a vibrant nightlife; many clubs that are open until dawn can be found throughout the city. The most recognizable nightlife features of Belgrade are the barges (splav), spread along the banks of the Sava and Danube Rivers. Many weekend visitors prefer Belgrade nightlife to that of their own capitals, due to a perceived friendly atmosphere, plentiful clubs and bars, cheap drinks, the lack of language difficulties, and the lack of restrictive night life regulation.

The city is home to Serbia's two biggest and most successful football clubs, Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade. Red Star won the 1991 UEFA Champions League (European Cup). The two major stadiums in Belgrade are the Marakana (Red Star Stadium) and the Partizan Stadium. The rivalry between Red Star and Partizan is one of the fiercest in world football.