"Karlsruhe - The City on the 49th... " a Karlsruhe Travel Page by Trillian2005

Karlsruhe is a mysterious city located on and around the 49th parallel. It is a city that everybody should see at least once because it has magic qualities. For Karlsruhe starters, I'd like to suggest some of the less-off-the-beaten path activities first, such as:

- Waiting for Karl Karlmann, the fastest and most famous Karlsruhe mail carrier.

- Walking on the 49th parallel with a hippo and two lions. The 49th parallel runs right through the Karlsruhe Zoo and if you keep west and keep walking, you'll eventually end up near Seattle, WA, USA.

So if you've got mail, it's now time to try some magic. Karlsruhe has a mysterious connection with ancient Egypt. Therefore, Karlsruhe's most famous landmark is...The Pyramid!

There are several rumors how The Pyramid arrived in Karlsruhe (choose your favorite):

1. A gift by the ambassador of Egypt
2. Via intergalactic intervention
3. It's the tombstone of Margrave Karl Friedrich of Baden-Durlach (a.k.a. Charlie), who had a dream vision that picturesque Durlach was supposed to be too small for him and that he needed to start a large, cosmopolitan and cosmic city.

The Pyramid is located in the heart of the city, on "Marktplatz" (Market Square) and is constantly watching over you (people as well as trams) - regardless if you're a local or a tourist. So watch out!

To see equally mysterious pyramids and keep wondering how they ended up there, go to Los Angeles and San Francisco

To get an insider view of what's happening in downtown Karlsruhe, next to The Pyramid, Carmen Sandiego recommends this top secret link.

This creature, together with her counterpart the Anti-Sphinx, can be encountered in a beautiful garden that is commonly referred to as the "Botanical Garden". However, don't let that fool you - the spinxes are actually guarding the entrance to Fantastica that begins right here in Karlsruhe. The entrance is also known as "The Great Riddle Gate".

Michael Ende described the sphinxes very realistically in his novel The Neverending Story:
The Great Riddle Gate is always open. But even so, nobody can get through unless the Sphinxes close their eyes. And do you know why? The gaze of a sphinx is different from any other creature. You and I and everyone else - our eyes take something in. But her eyes send something out. And what do her eyes send out? All the riddles of Karlsruhe and the universe.