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city in Hesse, Germany
Europe > Central Europe > Germany > Hesse > South Hesse > Darmstadt

Darmstadt is a city south of Frankfurt in Hesse, with a population of 160,000 (2019). Darmstadt is famous for its Jugendstil (art nouveau) buildings. Many of the buildings survived the massive destruction of Darmstadt in September 1944.

Understand

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Hundertwasserhaus
Darmstadt Schloss (Palace)

Prior to World War I, 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 birthplace of the last Empress of Russia, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova, who was born Prinzessin Victoria Alix Helena Louise Beatrice von Hessen und bei Rhein. Much of the old town 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, that 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 element Darmstadtium, element 110 on the Periodic Table, is named after the city. Perhaps as many as 11 atoms of this short half-life element have been synthesized to date.

If you speak German, the name might sound peculiar to you as the word "Darm" means "intestine" in German, though - as locals are quick to point out - the etymology of the name has nothing to do with intestines large or small.

Darmstadt is also an important site for the European Space Agency (ESA) serving as mission control for several important space missions in a similar way Houston fulfills that role for NASA.

Local information

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Get in

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By train

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Hauptbahnhof Darmstadt
  • 1 Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof. Trains including ICEs connect Darmstadt to surrounding cities, including Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Mainz, and Aschaffenburg. The S3 S-Bahn line connects Darmstadt and Frankfurt. Flixtrain serves the city. DB tickets are not valid on Flixtrain and vice versa. For trips from or to the northwest (e.g. Köln, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam) the quickest route is sometimes via Frankfurt Airport, where you can change between ICE trains on the Frankfurt-Köln line and the Airliner bus to or from Darmstadt. Darmstadt Central Station (Q682529) on Wikidata Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof on Wikipedia (updated Feb 2024)

By plane

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Darmstadt is about 20 minutes by road from Frankfurt Airport (FRA IATA). For those continuing their journey to Darmstadt by public transport, the Darmstadt Airport Shuttle bus service (AirLiner) is far more convenient than the train. It runs every 30 to 60 minutes between 04:00 and 23:00 and costs €7.60/€5.95 for adults/children. Buy your ticket from the bus driver. The AirLiner ticket is also valid for connecting transport around Darmstadt (RMV zones 40xx).

The AirLiner stops at both terminals of the airport. Look for bay 14 across the street from terminal 1. At terminal 2 the stop is right in front of the terminal. You can download a leaflet with the schedule [dead link] from the website of HEAG Mobibus.

On its way to Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof the bus stops at Mina-Rees-Straße and Heinrich-Hertz-Straße. In the opposite direction the bus goes directly from the station to the airport.

By car

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The freeways A5 and A67 go by to the eastern end of Darmstadt. Follow the signs to Darmstadt/Griesheim onto the very short A672, which merges into the B26 towards Darmstadt. Expect a traffic jam here in the morning.

You can also reach Darmstadt via the B3 and B26 main roads. The B3 runs in north–south direction, connecting Darmstadt with Frankfurt in the north and Heidelberg in the south. It runs largely parallel to the A5 freeway. The B26 runs east–west and is the main connection to Aschaffenburg.

The inner city is a system of tunnels and one-way roads for passing traffic. This can be a bit confusing.

Get around

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Darmstadt's public transport is part of the greater Rhine Main area network Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV). Darmstadt and its surroundings are designated as tariff area 40. This area is further subdivided into several zones numbered 40xx, Darmstadt city is zone 4001. Fares vary depending on the number of zones touched.

Tram lines are marked by single-digit numbers. The tram network extends from Darmstadt-Arheilgen in the north to Darmstadt-Eberstadt in the south and beyond to Seeheim-Jugenheim and Alsbach, from Griesheim in the west to Darmstadt-Kranichstein in the northeast. Lines 3, 5, 7/8, and 9 constitute the core network. Lines 1, 2, 4, and 6 reinforce the core network during rush hours. Line 6 is an express line, it skips some of the intermediate stops on its route between Eberstadt and Merck.

Single or double letters mark local bus lines. Main bus lines have single-letter designations and often share routes stops with trams in the inner city. In the evening hours most tram and bus lines operate with a frequency of 30 minutes. At minutes :15 and :45 meet at Luisenplatz for connections. The last of these central transfer stops is at 0:15, except for Fridays and Saturdays with two additional rounds at 01:15 and 02:15.

Overland lines to surrounding towns and villages have three- or four-digit numbers, or two-digit numbers preceded by the letter K. Most of these lines stop at Hauptbahnhof and other stops that they pass on their way through the city.

Besides Hauptbahnhof, several train stops are scattered throughout the city: Wixhausen and Arheilgen in the north serviced by the S3 S-Bahn line, Darmstadt-Süd and Darmstadt-Eberstadt in the south where Regionalbahn trains to and from Heidelberg stop, Darmstadt Nordbahnhof and Darmstadt-Kranichstein on the line to Aschaffenburg, and Darmstadt Ostbahnhof and Darmstadt TU-Lichtwiese on the line to Erbach (Odenwald).

For schedules and fares see the website of RMV.

When buying a ticket from a vending machine at a tram or bus stop, you need to specify a destination. The machine has a chart giving numeric codes for a variety of destinations. If you plan to travel only in the central part of Darmstadt, then enter the destination code for Stadtmitte (city centre).

For 2-5 people traveling together for multiple trips within a day, a group day ticket (Gruppentageskarte) is probably the economic choice.

Mathildenhöhe, an Art Nouveau colony, and the Russian Chapel
Luisenplatz and Langer Ludwig
Old town hall at Marktplatz
  • 1 Künstlerkolonie Mathildenhöhe. This is the most beautiful part of Darmstadt. There is also a small park, an art museum and a Russian-style chapel there. In 1899 Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig invited seven artists to come to Darmstadt and, thus, the Artists’ Colony Mathildenhöhe was founded. The first of four large art exhibitions took place in 1901. The artists presented their ideas of a new living and working world. They designed a colony, the focal point of which is the Studio House, the Ernst Ludwig House. Since 1990 it houses the Artists’ Colony Museum. In 2021 Mathildenhöhe was listed as a world heritage site. 
  • 2 Park Rosenhöhe (Rose heights). A park in the east of Darmstadt, just around the corner from the Ostbahnhof (east railway station). Don't miss out on the rose garden! Rosenhohe Park (Q1383925) on Wikidata 
  • 3 Langer Ludwig. Darmstadt's landmark, a statue on a huge sandstone column in the city centre. When you visit Darmstadt, you can't miss 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. It is located at Luisenplatz. Ludwigsmonument (Q1875446) on Wikidata 
  • 4 Schloss (Palace). Located at Marktplatz. Residential Palace Darmstadt (Q642097) on Wikidata Residential Palace Darmstadt on Wikipedia 
  • 5 Waldspirale (Forest Spiral), Waldspirale (next to Friedberger Straße, between Bad Nauheimer Straße and Büdinger Straße). The huge Hundertwasser house was finished in 2000. It is a wonderful example for the colourful architectural designs of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the famous Austrian architect and painter. The residential building has an interesting spiral shape, "green roof", and of its 1048 windows, no two are the same. Waldspirale (Q133635) on Wikidata Waldspirale on Wikipedia 
  • 6 Castle Frankenstein. It is a hilltop castle near Darmstadt in Mühltal. The castle was 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, when the Baron of that time sold the property to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. There have been claims that the castle may have inspired the Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein. While Shelley is known to have travelled through this area in 1814, historical scholars believe that she did not visit this castle. There are special dinners for Halloween and for other occasions. It is also possible to hike up to the castle. Frankenstein Castle (Q702906) on Wikidata Frankenstein Castle on Wikipedia 
Orangerie
  • 7 Orangerie (take the tram number 3 and exit at the station Orangerie). A nice baroque garden with several fountains is in the south of Darmstadt in the heart of Bessungen. In the summer people are playing boule or just relaxing in the grass. Orangerie (Q2028164) on Wikidata Orangerie (Darmstadt) on Wikipedia 
  • 8 Jagdschloss Kranichstein, Kranichsteiner Straße 261, ☏ +49 6151-97-111-8-0. Jagdschloss Kranichstein (Q1460819) on Wikidata Jagdschloss Kranichstein on Wikipedia 
  • 9 Eisenbahnmuseum Darmstadt-Kranichstein (Railway Museum), Steinstraße (Tram 4,5 to Kranichstein Bahnhof, or train towards Aschaffenburg to Kranichstein station). Sundays and public holidays 10:00-16:00, during the summer also Wednesdays (Apr-Sep) 10:00-16:00. Railway museum operated by volunteers. Various special events through the year. During special events you might get a chance to ride to and from central station on a historic train. Adult €6, Child €3, Family of 2 adults 3 children €15; prices are higher on special event days. Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum (Q1311759) on Wikidata Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum on Wikipedia 
  • 10 Porzellansammlung Erlangen in the Prinz-Georg-Palais, Schlossgartenstraße 10, ☏ +49 6151-713233. F-Su 10:00-17:00, closed between Nov 1 and March 31. exhibit of the Grand Ducal Hessian Porcelain Collection was set up by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (updated Sep 2016)
  • 11 Ludwigshöhe and Ludwigsturm (easiest access via Cooperstraße, then Alte Bogenschneise). A nice walk up the hill south of the Bessungen neighbourhood; the hill offers one of the best views over the city; there is also a small place for food and drinks (Ludwigsklause). (updated Sep 2016)
Luisenplatz
  • Jugendstil Bad, Mercksplatz 1. Relax in the pool, sauna, and spa and enjoy the art nouveau atmosphere. Influenced by the late Jugendstil, the former “Central Bath” was built in 1909. In 2007 it was renovated to become a wellness centre. 
  • Vivarium, Schnampelweg 4, ☏ +49 6151-47651. A small zoo hosting 700 animals of 150 species. 
  • ESOC (European Space Operations Center) Guided Tour. Tours for individuals and the general public (only via pre-registration) take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tours for individuals available only via pre-registration at Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt Marketing GmbH. Tickets can be obtained on the homepage of Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt Marketing GmbH under the section "Stadtführungen" or at the Darmstadt Shop, Luisenplatz 5. 1½-hour tour: €7 per person (reduced €5).. (updated Dec 2018)
  • Football: SV Darmstadt were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 2. Bundesliga, the second tier. Their home ground Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor (capacity 17,400) is 2 km southeast of town centre.
  • Der Feurige Elias. Der Feurige Elias (The Fiery Elias) is a steam-powered train that runs through the streets of Darmstadt on the tracks of the Darmstadt tram system. (Before electrification, many tram systems used steam locomotives of which Elias is one of the survivors.) Elias makes 4 round trips mostly on Sundays in June and September. The June trips are along the Bergstraße from tram stop Darmstadt-Eberstadt Frankenstein. The September trips are to Griesheim from a downtown location between the Schloß and the Kongresszentrum. This info is of 2014. Consult the web site for dates, times and changes in itinerary. Adults €4, Child €2, Family of 5 (2 adults, 3 children) €8. Double price for a return trip.. 
  • Jazzinstitut Darmstadt. The Jazzinstitut sponsored by the city of Darmstadt, harbours one of Europe's largest public jazz collections, including books, journals, recordings and photos. They also organize concerts. 

Events

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Landesmuseum and Haus der Geschichte
  • Heinerfest. Held once a year at the end of June/beginning of July. 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 centre. Free entry. 
  • Darmstädter Dichterschlacht. One of the best poetry slam series in the country, in the 'Centralstation Darmstadt' on irregular dates. Check out calendar for dates and tickets. 
  • 1 Filmfest Weiterstadt, Braunshardter Tännchen (Braunshardter Weg), Weiterstadt (Bus 5515, 5513 or 5506 to Hallenbad, or 15 minutes of walking from Weiterstadt train station.). mid-August. Open-air film festival with short films from all over the world. Bring warm clothes, screenings go on till 03:00 and August nights can be pretty cold. Admission free, donations welcome. 
  • Just for Fun, several locations: Herrngarten, Riegerplatz, city center. Street theatre festival in August. Don't forget to leave a few euros in the artists' hat. 
  • loop5, Gutenbergstraße 5, Weiterstadt (bus 5506, 5513 or 5515 from Hauptbahnhof, or by car via A5 or B42). Su-Th 10:00-20:00, F Sa 10:00-21:00. Large shopping mall out of town, free parking. In an area with several other large shops including furniture, home wares & pet store. 

Clothing

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  • Boathouse, Hügelstraße 71. Designer clothes. 
This article does not match our manual of style or needs other editing. Plunge forward with these suggested fixes: Listings must be subdivided by price: Budget/Mid-range/Splurge
  • City Braustüb'l. Wilhelminenstraße 31. Local food and beer, steaks; country style interior and a small, cosy beer garden in summer. Maybe here the best Schweinshaxe (Pork knuckle/shanks) of Hessen with beer sauce, two dumplings and raw sauerkraut. 
  • Mondo Deli. City Center, Grafenstraße 31. Good vegetarian food: Indian curries, pasta, soups, salads; selfservice style, menu changes every day, international travellers welcome. 
  • Habibi. City Center near Schloss, Landwehrstraße 13. Vegetarian and vegan dishes, mostly organic and fair trade ingredients. Sometimes there are political-cultural events happening, also you can play some boardgames. As the restaurant 1st rather small, it is recommended to order a table in advance. [0]6151 / 66 02 760 
  • Asia, ☏ +49 6151-29-17-46. Kasinostraße 69. Old Chinese restaurant (since 1974); good sushi: Sushi-Flatrate served as running sushi, delicious Chinese restaurant HotPot, Steamboat (minimum 3 people) and many more classical Chinese dishes. 
  • Restaurant Sitte, Karlstraße 15, ☏ +49 6151-25853. 
  • Einsiedel, Dieburger Straße 263, ☏ +49 6159-717885. 
  • Mezzo, Pallaswiesenstraße 19, ☏ +49 6151-295938. Fresh German cuisine with Mediterranean flair. 
  • Corroboree - Aussie Bar & Grill (64293), Kasinostraße 4 - 6 (Darmstadt). 
  • Snack Point (Best Worscht in Town), Rheinstraße, Pavillon No. 4 (near Friedensplatz in front of Galeria Kaufhof department store). M-F 11:00-20:00, Sa 10:00-18:30. Currywurst prepared to your specification. Select the flavour of the curry and how spicy you want your sausage to be. Request intensity levels C and above at your own risk, C is really hot and the scale goes on to F. They will warn you and they mean it. Talkative staff. €5 for sausage, fries and small drink. 
  • 1 Shiraz, Dieburger Straße 73 (just slightly Nord down off Mathildenhöhe), ☏ +49 6151-60 11 640. daily 11:30-00:00. Persian-oriental food, rather on the expensive side, but offering delicious in a fitting atmosphere (updated Sep 2016)
  • 2 Food Garden Restaurant, Jägertorstraße 165, ☏ +496151716457, . The kitchen is Indian, German and Italian. The restaurant is located in the middle of a garden and has a beautiful covered terrace. (updated Sep 2020)

Drink

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Darmstadt has several breweries, as well as a large amount of smaller taverns.

Breweries

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  • Grohe Brauerei, ☏ +49 6151-425255, fax: +49 6151-716644. Nieder-Ramstädter-Str.3. A smaller traditional brewery. It has its own tavern, where you can drink the freshly brewed beer, and eat typical local foods. It is in the Nieder-Ramstädter-Straße 3, and can easily be reached by tram or by foot from the city centre. The beer is also available for sale in bottles or barrels. Many locals believe that this is the best beer available in Darmstadt. 
  • Ratskeller. A tavern in the city centre, at the market place, brew their own beer, which is very tasty. The tavern is in the cellar vault of an older building and has a nice, traditional atmosphere. Everyday (only in winter) between 17:30 and 18:30 there is the "Schoppestund" It's a happy hour where you can get a freshly brewed beer or dark beer for €1.50. It's definitely worth a try. 
  • Rummel Brauerei. The largest in Darmstadt, brews the "Darmstädter" Bier, which is available in many restaurants and taverns in Darmstadt. 

Äbbelwoi Kneipen

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Hesse's national drink, apple cider (Apfelwein, or, in the local dialect, "Äbbelwoi"), is very popular here too. It is available in pure form, or blended with sparkling water ("sauer gespritzt") or lemonade ("süß gespritzt"). Foreigners not used to the unusual taste (it is much more sour and less sweet than the cider common in other countries) might want to try the version blended with lemonade first.

Beer gardens

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Cafés

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  • 1 Café Bellevue, Eckhardtstraße 26, ☏ +49 6151-79592. Summer: M-Sa 08:00-23:00, Su holidays 09:00-23:00; winter: M-Sa 08:00-22:00, Su and holidays 09:00-22:00. A nice café, popular among locals especially for breakfast (as well as for a nice café in the sun during afternoon). (updated Sep 2016)
  • 2 Café Woog, Beckstraße 44, ☏ +49 6151-429 45 43. Tu-F 08:00-00:00, Sa 09:00-00:00, Su 09:00-21:00, closed on Mondays. A nice café and bar with a short but very tasteful menu (changing daily) situated at the little artificial lake "Wood". (updated Sep 2016)
  • 3 3klang, Riegerplatz 3, ☏ +49 6151 669 88 43, . Su-Th 09:30-00:00, F Sa 09:30-01:00. a nice café also offering small dishes. (updated Oct 2016)
  • 4 Timm's Café, Landwehrstraße 13, ☏ +49 6151 3927469. W-Su 11:00-18:00. Nice café in a quiet area next to the city centre. The seating inside and outside is nice designed. One of the best coffee in town served with some vegan cakes. 
  • 5 221qm, Alexanderstraße 2, . M–W 11:00-17:00, Th 11:00-19:00, Bar: Th-Sa until 19:00. Café operated by students. Economic with nice ambient inside (updated Aug 2023)

Clubs

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  • Centralstation. The place to be. The Centralstation is a concert hall, club and lounge during the night and a café and restaurant during the day. Has many events going on. 
  • Nachtcafé. Carree 4. Nightclub, crowd is mainly in its twenties, house music. Only open Friday & Saturday 22:00-06:00. 
  • Schlosskeller. Non-profit bar and disco run by university students in the dungeons of the Darmstadt Castle. 
  • Level 6. Kasinostraße 60. Cocktail Lounge and Web Lounge and K-60[dead link]. Billiard, Snooker, Darts, Foosball, Air Hockey. A bistro with 3 TVs and a projector for sports events.
  • Goldene Krone, Schustergasse 18, ☏ +49 6151-21352. Alternative centre for cheap drinks, music and concerts. 
  • An Sibin Irish Pub, Landgraf-Georgstr. 25, ☏ +49 6151-20452. The largest Irish pub in Darmstadt, with live music on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Also Quiz Night on Tuesday and Karaoke on Thursday. Half-price pizzas everyday until 20:00, and Fridays and Saturday cocktails are buy 1 get 1 free. 

Sleep

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Darmstadt is a popular alternative for business travellers if trade fairs in Frankfurt result in overbooked hotels. Therefore, trade fairs in Frankfurt have a high impact on fluctuating price levels. Try Neu-Isenburg or Dreieich if hotels in Darmstadt are booked out already

Go next

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Fossilized perch, Messel Pit
  • 12 Messel Pit Fossil Site - A UNESCO World Heritage Site located a few kilometers outside Darmstadt. Messel has a small railway station on the Darmstadt – Aschaffenburg line. From the station it is about a 20-minute walk (there is no bus) out of town to the south.

If you are planning a day trip by rail to a town/city served by the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) network such as Michelstadt or Mainz, you can buy a day ticket from a ticket vending machine at a Darmstadt tram stop, and that ticket will include local tram/bus rides to/from the railway station at both ends as well as the train trips. The tram ticket machine allows you to select your destination city. For 2-5 people traveling together on a day trip within the RMV network, a group day ticket (Gruppentageskarte) can be particularly economical.

This city travel guide to Darmstadt is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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