Showcase Karlsruhe: Digital tourist information in the heart of the fan-shaped city

The shark tank in the Karlsruhe Natural History Museum holds 240,000 liters of water, the shopping center at Ettlinger Tor offers 33,000 square meters of shopping space, and a ride on the Bähnle train in the palace gardens takes 20 minutes: Anyone entering the new tourist information center at Kaiserstraßen 72-74 will immediately notice some interesting facts and figures about Karlsruhe on three large monitors.

The huge flat screens hang prominently on the wall next to the entrance area and invite visitors to take a multimedia tour of the fan-shaped city. Just a few days after the opening, the screens on the City Information Wall (CI Wall) are already the landmark of the information center with the resounding name “Schaufenster Karlsruhe”. In addition to the central tourist information office of Karlsruhe Tourismus GmbH (KTG), the former store in the striking Lederer building also houses a new customer center of Stadtwerke Karlsruhe. On 250 square meters of floor space, visitors can obtain all the information they need about the cultural offerings in the Karlsruhe TechnologyRegion. The relocation of the central tourist information office from the main railway station to the heart of the fan-shaped city was planned well in advance.

Another milestone on the way to becoming a city of digitalization

However, the city administration did not want to stop at simply relocating to the north side of the market square: In order to get as many people as possible excited about the city of Karlsruhe in the future and to meet the usage habits of guests, numerous digital offers were made available for the search for suitable excursion destinations.
“The city can be experienced digitally in this space,” emphasized Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz, Mayor of Economic Affairs, at the official opening. Thanks to the modern technology and intuitive operation of the individual multimedia terminals, the Karlsruhe showcase is a “further milestone on Karlsruhe’s path to becoming a city of digitalization”.

Other digitalization projects in 2019 included the opening of the digital citizens’ office in the town hall and the establishment of the DigitalLab to further develop digital administrative processes. Outside the city limits, the initiatives to modernize the administration also met with a positive response. Markus Losert, Head of the city’s Office for Information Technology and Digitalization, was presented with the eGovernment Kommunal Award on the day of the showcase opening.

Individual city tour to download to your smartphone

Visitors to the Karlsruhe showcase can put together their own individual tour of the city. All they have to do is select individual sights on the three CI wall monitors and download the displayed information onto a memory card with a QR code. The maps are displayed in the shop window and the saved information can then be downloaded to a smartphone during the city tour. Special search filters on the monitors make it as easy as possible to navigate through the virtual urban jungle. Offers for families can be searched for just as specifically as tips for adults or children.

Social wall and virtual panoramic view of Karlsruhe

While parents look for suitable destinations for a city tour, children can pass the time at the interactive table in the “Kid’s Corner” or browse the social wall at the entrance area for the latest entries. Posts that have been posted on Instagram under the hashtag #schaufensterkarlsruhe appear on the social wall.

You can also sit back, relax and take in the city in the 360-degree experience area of the Karlsruhe shop window. Comfortable armchairs are available downstairs, while up under the ceiling several monitors provide high-resolution images for an all-round view of the fan-shaped city. Visitors receive additional information via the audio shower, a special speaker system that provides sound for the 360-degree experience. All offers in the Karlsruhe showcase are not only designed for tourism. Karlsruhe residents are also welcome at any time and can discover new facets of their home city on a virtual tour, emphasizes Stadtwerke Managing Director Michael Homann.

Personal advice is still part of the offering

Despite the numerous digital offerings, visitors to Schaufenster Karlsruhe do not have to do without personal advice. KTG employees are available to answer questions during opening hours. And if you want to explore the city without a smartphone, you can simply pick up a handy city map at the entrance area. The maps show numerous places of interest. They also fit in every pocket.