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Germany
Travel Guide
Darmstadt
is a city in Hesse, Germany, located a little south of Frankfurt.
 Prior to World
War II, Darmstadt was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The Grand
Dukes used to live in what is now the Schloß Marktplatz. It is also the
birth place of the last Empress of Russia, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna
Romanov, who was born as Princess Alix Viktoria Helena Luise Beatrice of
Hesse and by Rhine. Sadly, much of the old city was destroyed in carpet
bombing by the Allies during World War II, and most of what is still
standing was reconstructed after the war. Darmstadt also lost its status
as the capital of Hesse after the war, the honour now lying with the
nearby city of Wiesbaden.
The
popular recreational drug Ecstasy was first synthesised in Darmstadt in
1912 by a chemist known as Anton Kollisch while he was working for the
pharmaceutical company Merck.
The
ProRegio Darmstadt tourist office is located at Im Carree 4a, on the
second floor.
Local
Attractions:
- Darmstadt is famous for its Jugendstil (art
nouveau) buildings. Many of the buildings survived the massive
destruction of Darmstadt in September 1944. Visit the
Künstlerkolonie Mathildenhöhe, to see the most interesting ones.
This is the most beautiful part of Darmstadt. There is also a small
park and an art museum there.
- Darmstadt's landmark is the Langer Ludwig,
a statue on a huge sandstone column located right in the city
center. When you visit Darmstadt, you can't avoid it. On the first
Saturday of every month (and during special events) it is open for
the public, meaning that you can climb the column (through a stair
located on the inside) and get a beautiful view over
Darmstadt.
- The huge Hundertwasser house called "Waldspirale"
("Forest Spiral") was finished in 2000. It is a wonderful
example for Friedensreich Hundertwasser's (the famous Austrian architect
and painter) colourful architectural designs.
- The original Castle Frankenstein is
located near Darmstadt in Mühltal. The Castle is first mentioned in
the records in the year 948, and initial construction of the Castle
ruins remaining today began in the 13th century. The 14th and 15th
centuries saw expansion, followed by construction of reinforcements
in the 16th. It was owned by the Barons von Frankenstein who owned
most of the surrounding land until 1662 in which the Baron of that
time sold the property to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. A story
about the castle served as the inspiration for the Mary Shelley
novel, Frankenstein, after she visited the castle in 1814.
- A nice baroque garden is the Orangerie.
The garden with several fountains is located in the south of
Darmstadt in the heart of Bessungen. In the summer people are
playing boule or just relaxing in the grass. To get there take the
tram number 3 and exit at the station Orangerie.
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Festivals and regular
events:
- Heinerfest - Held once a year at
the end of June/beginning of July (2007:June 28–July 2). The Festival
occupies the whole inner city for 4–5 days. It is the largest
"Inner City Festival" of Germany.
- Schloßgrabenfest
- An annual music
festival (usually in May) in the city center. The dates for 2008
are May 29 – June 1. Entry is free.
- Frühstückstreff
Darmstadt - A
monthly breakfast club meeting. Entry is free.
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