Discover Hockenheim: Tobacco history, churches and motorsport

Hockenheim offers a range of ways to shape your stay: The town’s history comes to life at the Tobacco Museum, its churches make their own architectural statement, and the Garden Show Park puts gardens and events center stage. The Hockenheimring also offers seasonal tours. Depending on whether you want to plan for culture, green spaces, market life or motorsport, suitable sightseeing and event dates will vary too.

Tobacco history and churches

The Hockenheim Tobacco Museum opened in 1984 and is considered the first tobacco museum in Baden-Württemberg. It brings Hockenheim’s tradition of tobacco growing and processing to life. Alongside the history of tobacco and its processing, the museum displays items from everyday working life, including worktables, molds, presses and scales from an old cigar factory, as well as pipes, smoking accessories and numerous photographs. This connects the story of local tobacco history with concrete insights into how tobacco was processed. Individual exhibits or displays may change.

The Protestant Stadtkirche was built between 1905 and 1907 in the Neo-Baroque style, based on a design by Hermann Behagel. Its 50-meter-high tower is among the region’s tallest church towers. The interior renovation completed in 2019, modern media technology and the organ, which is outstanding beyond the region, also make the church suitable for concerts. The architecture, interior and musical use are distinct aspects of the building; check specific concert dates separately.

The Catholic Church of St. George represents a different architectural era. It is one of the rare Art Nouveau churches in southern Germany to have been largely preserved in its original form. Its preserved tower, altars, pulpit and organ make it a significant example of sacred Art Nouveau in the region and a cultural monument of particular importance. If you would like to see the church interior, check visiting arrangements in advance.

Hockenheim’s historical heritage also includes the Jewish cemetery, which dates back to 1879. Its 53 gravestones are spread over an area of more than 5.72 hectares. Access may be limited to visits by arrangement or special opening times, so check whether a visit is possible in advance.

Garden Show Park, market and events

The Garden Show Park was created for the 1991 Baden-Württemberg State Garden Show and covers around 16 hectares. Its grounds include historic gardens and a rose garden. There is also a lakeside stage, numerous works of art, around 370 square meters of colorful seasonal flower beds and a variety of perennial plantings. The combination of garden areas, art and a stage gives the park several distinct features. Its landscaping and facilities may change over time.

The Hockenheim Medieval Market is held annually in the park. Demonstrations and traditional crafts offer an introduction to medieval life. If you would like to visit the market, check the relevant event dates and program separately rather than assuming a specific date.

For a visit connected with local market life, you could also consider the Hockenheim After-Work Market. It was launched in spring 2024 and continues to take place on the second and fourth Friday of each month from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Zehntscheunenplatz. Regional vendors sell items including fruit and vegetables, cheese, baked goods and wine; freshly prepared food is also available. Vendors and products may vary from one market day to the next.

Motorsport and tour planning

The Hockenheimring is a draw for motorsport fans. During public driving sessions, you can experience the circuit in your own vehicle. These sessions take place irregularly during the season on dates announced in advance. Check the dates before planning your stay around them; no fixed schedule is specified.

Places on the Insider Tour are limited, so purchasing tickets in advance is recommended. The public driving sessions and Insider Tour therefore involve different planning considerations: for sessions in your own vehicle, the irregular seasonal dates are important, while for the Insider Tour you should take the limited number of places and recommendation to buy tickets into account.

Culture in the wider destination of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis

The wider destination of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis also has its own cultural and historical attractions. The Electoral Palatinate’s Schwetzingen Palace has a Rococo theater and a world-famous park. In Ladenburg’s historic town center, large parts of the townscape are still shaped by the Middle Ages and, in some places, by Roman times. These examples are associated with Schwetzingen and Ladenburg and are not features of Hockenheim.

Discover more destinations: Heddesheim, Schriesheim, Dielheim, Leimen, Hilsbach, Mühlhausen, Lobbach, Meckesheim

Back to the wider travel overview: Rhein-Neckar-Kreis.