The Karlsruhe sports scene provides all that you would expect from a prominent German city. There’s the local soccer team, the Karlsruher SC. A basketball team is also in town, as well as a tradition of American football.
Football / Soccer
No German city is complete without their own football team and Karlsruhe is certainly no exception! The local soccer club is the Karlsruher SC, which is a conglomeration of several past clubs. Its origins go back to 1894 with the creation of Karlsruher Fussball Club Phönix.
These days, the team plays in the second Bundesliga at the Wildparkstadion (Adenauerring 17). The stadium is situated in the picturesque park where the dukes of Baden once hunted for wild deer. It has the capacity to hold almost 30,000 roaring fans.
Basketball
Another popular Karlsruhe sport is basketball. The city boasts its own team with the fan favorites BG Karlsruhe. The BG Karlsruhe plays in the second Basketball Bundesliga-Pro A. Founded in 1993, the team plays their home games at the 6,500-seater Europahalle (Hermann-Veit-Straße 7). Come cheer on the BG Karlsruhe with their mascot the polar bear!
American Football
Karlsruhe’s sports scene also offers a more unusual European sport — American football! Karlsruhe does indeed have its own American football team, the Badener Greifs.
This team was one of the earlier American football clubs in Germany, going all the way back to 1982! That’s when a band of motorcyclists — which included some retired American soldiers — decided to come together to play a game some of them allegedly had never even seen before.
The Badener Greifs remain popular today.
Swimming
Swimming is ever popular in Germany and by extension, also in Karlsruhe. There are a bevy of swimming pools here that are much loved by the locals.
The Sonnenbad (Honsellstraße 39) is the an outdoor pool in the city with room for sunbathing, and is open for most of the year, March to November. And don’t forget the Rappenwörtbad (Hermann-Schneider-Allee 54), which boasts a wave pool and a large spa, is also a popular choice.
