Baden-Württemberg is Germany's south-western corner, between the Rhine, the Black Forest and Lake Constance. Heidelberg, with its castle and old town on the Neckar, has its own page, and so does the Black Forest, from Freiburg and the Feldberg to the baths of Baden-Baden. Lake Constance is best seen as a trip from a base such as Constance.
This hub links the Heidelberg and Black Forest pages and the Mainau entry from the Germany page.
Spend a day on Mainau, Lake Constance's garden island
Konstanz
No booking needed
An island off Konstanz given over to gardens: Italian roses, dahlias, a palm house, a baroque palace and a butterfly house.
What it is
Mainau is the Bernadotte family's garden island off Konstanz: an Italian rose garden, a dahlia garden, a palm house, a baroque palace and a butterfly house, run by a family foundation.
How to do it
In the 2026 main season (21 March to 18 October) adults pay €26.90 online or €29.50 at the gate, children up to 12 go free, and day visitors are let in from 9:00 to 19:00 in summer, shortening to 17:00 by mid October. The butterfly house opens 10:00 to 18:00. By public transport, take bus 4/13 from Konstanz/Laube to the island entrance; boats also call from Konstanz, Überlingen and Meersburg, for a loop across the lake. Parking costs €6 a day.
Good to know
From late June to mid September an evening ticket (€16) lets you in from 17:00 and stay until sunset.
Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.
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Plan your trip
Which places for what
Heidelberg for the castle, the old town and the Philosophers' Walk. The Black Forest for Freiburg Minster, the Feldberg, the Schauinsland, the Triberg waterfalls, the Vogtsbauernhof and Baden-Baden's baths. Lake Constance for the flower island of Mainau.
Combining them
In must30's view, split the trip: two days in Heidelberg in the north, then three or four in the Black Forest with Freiburg as a base, and a day for Lake Constance if time allows.
Getting around
Trains link Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Freiburg and the Black Forest railway towns, and the Deutschlandticket covers regional services.
When to go
Late spring to autumn suits the Black Forest summits and the lake. November 2026 is the gap for the mountains, when the Feldberg and Schauinsland cable cars stop for maintenance; from late November the Advent markets of Freiburg and Gengenbach take over.
Questions travellers ask
Where should I base myself in Baden-Württemberg?
In must30's view, Heidelberg for the north, Freiburg for the southern Black Forest and Baden-Baden for the baths.
Is November a good month for Baden-Württemberg?
For the cities and the baths, yes; for the mountains, less so. The Feldbergbahn stops from 2 to 27 November 2026, the Schauinsland cable car from 16 November to 4 December, and the Vogtsbauernhof closes after 1 November.
Can I combine Heidelberg and the Black Forest in one trip?
In must30's view, yes: two days in Heidelberg, then three or four in the Black Forest with Freiburg as a base.
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