Things to do in Black Forest, Heidelberg & Stuttgart

Above Heidelberg's old town, a funicular climbs to the romantic red-sandstone ruin of Heidelberg Castle, with its giant wine barrel and German Apothecary Museum, while Stuttgart is a city for car lovers: the Mercedes-Benz Museum winds down nine levels of automotive history and the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen tells the story of its road and racing cars. Take the shuttle bus up to the hilltop Hohenzollern Castle, soak at the Caracalla Spa in Baden-Baden, and in Freiburg try a Lange Rote sausage at the market around the Minster before walking up the Schlossberg for the sunset over the cathedral tower. Deeper in the Black Forest, the Triberg Waterfalls drop 163 metres over seven main steps and are lit every evening, and at Lake Titisee you can take a narrated cruise or rent a pedal or rowing boat; on Lake Constance, Mainau Flower Island has a castle, an Italian rose garden, a Palm House and a Butterfly House, and Lindau's island old town has a harbour entrance framed by a lion statue and a lighthouse. Europa-Park offers more than 100 attractions and shows in European-themed areas, including the Voltron Nevera multi-launch coaster, next to the Nordic-themed Rulantica water world with its eight-lane Vikingløp slide; in winter the park adds a Christmas market, an ice rink and a Christmas circus, and in the run-up to Christmas Stuttgart's market fills the city centre around the Old Castle and Schlossplatz, complete with a Ferris wheel.

Good to knowThe Mercedes-Benz Museum is closed on Mondays and the Porsche Museum opens Tuesday to Sunday, with cheaper early-bird and evening tickets, while Heidelberg Castle's interiors can only be seen on a guided tour. At the Caracalla Spa visitors must be at least 7, under-14s need an adult and last entry is 1.5 hours before closing, and at the Triberg Waterfalls only the lower section to the first main fall is open in winter, when paths can be icy. Europa-Park's opening periods change with the seasons and some rides may pause in ice or strong wind, so check the calendar first, and buy Europa-Park and Rulantica tickets only from official channels, as fake tickets are sold online.