Darmstadt and Surroundings

Darmstadt

Darmstadt is a city of about 150 thousand inhabitants located close to Frankfurt am Main in the southern part of the Rhine-Main area of Germany.
A city of science, Darmstadt hosts two large-scale research facilities, the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy-Ion Research and the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), as well as the Technical University Darmstadt and the world’s oldest operating (since 1668) chemical and pharmaceutical company, Merck KGaA.

Culture, history, and leisure

Darmstadt is a former capital of the land of Hesse. It has a lot of attractions, despite having been heavily damaged during World War II by firebombing on September 11, 1944.

A colony of artists was established on Mathildenhöhe in 1899, at the initiative of the Grand Duke Ernst-Ludwig of Hesse. Lasting until 1914, this helped establishing Darmstadt as one of the prominent centers of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau). A more recent architectural piece is Waldspirale, a building by the well-known (and controversial) architect Hundertwasser.

Darmstadt is also a major center of contemporary music, thanks to its renowned Darmstädter Ferienkurse, established in 1946. The theatre (Staatstheater) offers interesting opera performances and concerts. For pop and jazz category, check Centralstation.

Herrngarten is a park in the center of the city, while Rosenhöhe is at about 15 min. walking distance. From there on, the forests invite you for a walk in fresh air. The famous German "beer garden" (Biergarten) is something to enjoy in Darmstadt, see options below.

A central swimming pool, sauna and other wellness facilities are available at Jugendstilbad Darmstadt. Kids would enjoy time with the inhabitants of Vivarium, a small zoo. To boost the adrenaline, visit the climbing hall and the outdoor climbing park Kletterwald.

Restaurants (near city center)

Most of them are not big, so a reservation is recommended. Some are closed on Mondays, please notice the opening hours (Öffnungszeiten).

Surrounding points of interests

A few destinations easy to reach from Darmstadt: