The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Germany:
Baden-Württemburg
Baden-Württemburg embraces such diverse landscapes as the Neckar Valley in the north; the Bodensee, or Lake Constance, in the south; the Black Forest in the west; and the underrated Schwäbische Alb in the heart of the Land (state). In stark contrast to these scenic splendors are such cities as Mannheim and Stuttgart, home to many of the cutting edge, high-technology firms that are at the center of the lean, mean, well-oiled German industrial machine. Striking a balance between these two environments are the two lively, riverside university towns of Tübingen, home of Germany's oldest institution of higher learning, and Heidelberg, renowned for its romantic atmosphere and enormous castle. Allied forces created Baden-Württemberg from three conservative provinces in 1952, hoping to balance the left-leaning, socialist-oriented Ruhrgebiet region to the north. It worked--today the Land rivals only Bavaria in its reputation for right-of-center politics.
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