Podcast Tour Karlsruhe: Digital Bauhaus at ZKM

Walk a former munitions factory turned digital art lab, guided by podcast voices through six stations

A 65-minute self-guided audio tour of Karlsruhe's Center for Art and Media (ZKM) that traces the site's transformation from Second World War munitions production to a laboratory for digital art and design. You follow six stations across 0.8 km, listening to podcast-style narration from design experts and architectural historians, with an app providing navigation and answers to questions about the history and architecture. Suitable for ages 13 and up. Available in English and German.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Karlsruhe's digital art and history

• Visit Place of Human Rights
• Explore ZKM forecourt and hall building A
• Experience Klangdom in ZKM foyer and Kubus
• See media art in ZKM Museum Lichthöfen 1 and 2
• Learn Bauhaus legacy in pedagogical core
• Visit City Gallery for classical art

The experience

How do you walk through a building that once fueled the darkest chapters of history and now hosts interactive art installations? This tour answers that paradox. Hall building A, a 300-meter industrial structure, sits at the heart of Karlsruhe's Center for Art and Media, and the audio walk begins at the Place of Human Rights, where the narration contrasts the site's forced labor history with its present commitment to human dignity. From there, the route moves through the ZKM forecourt and into the foyer, where spatial acoustic art in the Klangdom makes the digital world tangible before you've walked fifty meters.

The six stations unfold over roughly an hour, each one anchored to a specific moment in the building's architecture or the art inside it. You'll stand in front of the raw industrial aesthetic of the hall itself, then move into the Museum of Media Art in the Lichthöfen galleries, where the narration traces how traditional art evolved into interactive, screen-based, and algorithmic work. The City Gallery offers a deliberate contrast, reconnecting the high-tech focus back to classical art history. Throughout, the app handles navigation between stops and lets you ask follow-up questions about what you're seeing: a feature that transforms a simple walk into a conversation with the experts whose voices you're hearing.

The podcast style is the engine here. Rather than a dry recitation of facts, Clara (a design enthusiast) and Victor (an architectural historian) tell the story of the building and the art inside it as a narrative that challenges what you think you know about memorial culture and the power of art to rewrite history. The content is verified and grounded, but the delivery is human and exploratory. Service animals are welcome, and the walk suits all fitness levels. Public transportation stops are nearby if you need them.

What’s included

• Podcast-style audio narration by design experts and architectural historians.
• interactive app-based guide with navigation between stations and answers to questions about history and surroundings.
• verified historical facts woven into the narrative.
• point-to-point directions through six stops at the Center for Art and Media.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Under 13: can't be booked

Audio guideEnglish and German

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Thread

Is this one for you?At 65 minutes, the walk fits comfortably into a morning or afternoon without consuming your whole day in Karlsruhe, leaving time to explore other parts of the city or linger longer inside the ZKM's galleries if the art pulls you in.

Top questions

What is the Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, and why does this tour focus on it?

The Center for Art and Media (ZKM) occupies a former munitions factory from the Second World War. The tour explores how the building has been preserved and transformed into a laboratory for digital art and design, contrasting its industrial past with its present role as a space for interactive and algorithmic art.

How does the app guide work during the walk?

The app provides point-to-point navigation between the six stations and lets you ask questions about the history and surroundings as you move through the building. It's designed to support the podcast narration, not replace it.

Can I do this tour if I don't speak German?

Yes. The audio guide is available in both English and German, so you can choose the language that suits you before you start.

How long does the walk take, and how far do I travel?

The tour takes 65 minutes and covers 0.8 kilometers across six stations, mostly within and around the ZKM building itself.

Is there a minimum age for this tour?

Yes, the tour is suitable for ages 13 and up. The content is designed for people interested in art, design, aesthetics, and history, and the themes, including the site's wartime history, are pitched to that audience.