Walldorf combines water-based activities with nature and local history. At AQWA, a 50-metre Olympic-size pool and a natural swimming lake offer a range of activities; at the Astorhaus, a museum takes visitors through local history. There is also the wildlife park, opportunities for exercise and the protected Hochholz area. You can tailor your stay to the things that interest you most.
Water, exercise and the wildlife park
AQWA Walldorf has a 50-metre Olympic-size pool and a natural swimming lake used for swimming, diving and paddling. A toddler area with a pirate village rounds out the facilities. The options range from swimming in the pool to various activities at the natural swimming lake. You can also play mini golf without being an AQWA guest.
Other activities offer different ways to stay active. The redesigned skate park, which opened in October 2022, is suitable for inline skates, scooters and BMX bikes. The go-kart track in Walldorf has a 730-metre circuit suitable for beginners and more experienced drivers. Admission to Walldorf Wildlife Park is free; the entire park and restaurant are wheelchair accessible.
The Hochholz natural area
Hochholz has been a protected landscape area since 26 November 2003. Its woodland lake, with reed beds, shoreline vegetation and sandbanks, increases habitat diversity while also supporting local recreation. The area thus combines a protected landscape with a role in providing opportunities for recreation nearby.
Protecting an individual endangered species also plays a role in Walldorf: measures to protect the crested lark are in place in the south of the town. Together with the protected landscape area, this makes nature a theme encompassing both the diversity around the woodland lake and targeted protection of this bird species.
Local history and the Astorhaus
Walldorf was first mentioned in a document on 20 October 770. The name Waltdorf appears in a deed of donation to Lorsch Abbey. During the War of the Palatine Succession, the town was completely destroyed in 1689; Walldorf was resettled from 1716 onward. These dates provide a timeline for local history, from its early mention to a major turning point.
Walldorf’s local history museum has been housed in the Astorhaus since 1970. The exhibition space covers 400 square metres across three floors. Its topics include rural life and various trades; the venue also hosts special exhibitions, talks and events organised by the local heritage association. History enthusiasts can find different ways here to explore everyday life and work in earlier times.
Twenty Stolpersteine (memorial plaques) are spread across six locations in the town centre. Walldorf’s past is also reflected in 19th-century agricultural trade, which was associated with forest products, tobacco, hops and asparagus, and also contributed to local prosperity. The museum, the Stolpersteine and economic history each highlight a different aspect of local history.
Getting here and the wider region
Walldorf lies in the southern part of the Rhein-Neckar district in Baden-WĂĽrttemberg, in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region between Heidelberg and Mannheim. The town is connected to the road network via the A5 and A6; rail connections are via Wiesloch-Walldorf ICE station.
Beyond Walldorf, the wider region offers walks in the Odenwald, cycling tours along the Neckar and water sports on the Ketscher Altrhein. Culinary traditions also extend beyond the town: Saumagen (stuffed pig’s stomach) and Palatinate wine are considered regional specialities in the wider area. Walldorf’s own highlights, however, lie in the town’s facilities, natural areas and historical connections.
Discover more destinations: Laudenbach, Schwetzingen, Angelbachtal, Waibstadt, Heidelberg, Hilsbach, Leimen, Reilingen
For the broader travel overview: Rhein-Neckar district.
