Welcome to Darmstadt
City of Science or Centre of Culture? Darmstadt is both. Like almost no other city, it combines an appreciation of the arts with a passion for science and innovation. Darmstadt still has the charm of a royal capital – at the same time it is a modern city, a laboratory for cultural as well as scientific experiments.
The journey started on the Mathildenhöhe with the forming of the Artists' Colony, a group of artists whose exhibitions enjoyed worldwide recognition and who created a document of modern forms of construction and housing - starting point for modern industrial design.
Before the title “City of Science” was bestowed on Darmstadt in 1997, the city was recognised as “City of the Arts”. In fact, both sides go hand-in-hand, recognising that the combination of tradition and innovation is the “Darmstadt Way” to discover new things – here and throughout the world.
Discover Darmstadt

Ihr Eintrag ins Digitale Schaufenster: Onlineformular
App "Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt" - Travel back in time
With the Mathildenhöhe App you go on a journey through time on Mathildenhöhe. Historical views are superimposed with current images and illustrate how the Mathildenhöhe developed during and after the Artists' Colony.
With the app you can not only navigate to the individual locations but also fade your current perspective with historical images using AR (Augmented Reality).
Download the app for iOS or Android from the AppStore or Google Play unto your smartphone or use teh web-version on www.darmstadt-tourismus.de/mathildenhoehe
Discover World Heritage: Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt and Messel Pit Fossil Site - with the Darmstadt Card
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Discover World Heritage: Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt and Messel Pit Fossil Site - with the Darmstadt Card
The Museum Künstlerkolonie Darmstadt on Mathildenhöhe and the Messel Pit Fossil Site are partners of the Darmstadt Card.
Individual visitors receive a discount with the Darmstadt Card when visiting the Museum Künstlerkolonie and the Messel Pit Visitor Centre. The bus line "FU" connects the World Heritage Site "Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt" with the World Heritage Site "Messel Pit Fossil Site" and can be used free of charge with the Darmstadt Card.
Tip:
With the Darmstadt Card, there is also a discount on taking part in a public guided tour of the city, e.g. of Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt.
Darmstadt Card 1-Day Card: Reduction on participation in a public guided tour of Darmstadt by Darmstadt Marketing GmbH.
Darmstadt Card 2-day ticket: Free participation in a public guided tour of Darmstadt by Darmstadt Marketing GmbH.
Weekend packages
Discover Darmstadt and spend a weekend in the City of Science and Culture. Visit the Mathildenhöhe, the Artists' Colony from 1901 to 1914, or the various museums as the Hessian State Museum or the Museum in the Residantial Palace.
Stroll through the Wilhelminenstraße in the city centre and enjoy the view of the Pantheon-like church St. Ludwig. Discover the small shops in Schulstraße and at the Stadtkirchplatz or the more than 450 shops, from internationally renowned brands to small, owner-run shops.
Offers of weekend packages: www.darmstadt-tourismus.de/en/visit/accomodations/packages
Future History Tour "Darmstadt City"
Time travel through Darmstadt's city centre!
With "Future History" historical views of the city can be compared with today's. What has changed, what has remained the same?
Darmstadt was the capital and residence of the Hessian landgraves and grand dukes, capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse until 1919, then capital of the People's State of Hesse until 1933 and the State of Hesse until 1945. Darmstadt lost its status to Wiesbaden, due to the severe war destruction.
In the reconstruction phase after 1945, the city concentrated on its importance as a city of science and culture. Today Darmstadt has over 160,000 inhabitants and a lively city centre with numerous sights, shopping streets, restaurants, parks and green spaces.
Via the Future History App (available in Google Play and in the AppStore) you can also be guided directly to the individual locations and fade in the historical views with AR (Augmented Reality).
Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt - UNESCO World Heritage
The Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt is an ensemble of Wedding Tower, Exhibition Hall, Museum Artists' Colony, plane tree grove and artist houses. It was laid out as the garden of the grand ducal court as early as the 19th century and was one of the most important centres of modern art and architecture in Europe and the world for 14 years, from 1901 to 1914. Its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021 underscores its global importance as a pioneer of modernity. .
ESA Space Tour (in German only)
"ESA Space Tour" is a digital tour of the site of ESA's European Satellite Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt.
As the European Space Agency, ESA is dedicated to the peaceful exploration and use of space. Founded in 1975, it now comprises 22 member states. Through the cooperation of its member states, ESA covers all types of space activities: Space exploration, astronautical spaceflight, Earth observation, transport into space, navigation, space situational awareness and security, technology development and telecommunications, and the promotion of industry.
The digital tour is available in German only.
Guided tours
Whether science, culture or life - there are tours in Darmstadt on all topics. "Darmstadt at a glance", "Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt - UNESCO World Heritage" or a guided tour bei bike through the city, you decide which facet of Darmstadt you would like to get to know first.
Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:
1-day-card: Reduced fee for participation in a public guided tour of Darmstadt Marketing GmbH.
2-day-card: Free participation in a public guided tour of Darmstadt Marketing GmbH.
Raus ins Grüne - Raus in die Region
Darmstadt is not only located in the FrankfurtRhineMain region, but is also the gateway to the Bergstrasse and the Odenwald. The region offers diverse landscapes, historical and modern architecture, exciting history, regional delicacies and much more.
There is much to discover.
Frankfurt Rhine-Main is the culturally and economically vibrant region in the heart of Europe.
The Bergstrasse from Darmstadt to Heidelberg offers around 30 castles and palaces along the way and, as a wine region, also offers specialities such as the Red Riesling. The Odenwald invites you to go hiking and cycling, to historic old towns and hidden farms, and offers cultural, culinary and sporting activities.
The Bergstrasse-Odenwald Geo-Nature Park (UNESCO Global Geopark) invites you to discover a charming landscape steeped in history, covering an area of 3800 km² between the Rhine, Bergstrasse, Odenwald, Main and Neckar rivers.
Plane tree wood pens
The writing utensils made of plane tree wood were created in collaboration with Thomas Hörold, an artisan from Bad-Soden. In the course of the renovation of the plane tree grove on Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, some trees had to be felled, and now unique writing utensils - ballpoint pens, fountain pens and rollerballs - have been made from them.
Thomas Hörold, who has been an exhibitor at the Darmstadt Arts and Crafts market for many years, has already implemented this project with other cities and is now also giving the woods of the plane tree grove a second life. In the process, the structure and colour, but also one or two special features of the wood come to light. The individual pieces are available in the Darmstadt Shop at the Luisencenter, prices range from 49.00 to 149.00 euros.
pen, plane tree wood: 49.00 €
rollerball pen, plane tree wood: 129.00 €
fountain pen, plane tree wood: 149.00 €
7-Hügel-Steig (7-hills-hiking-trail)
The 13 km long route with slight inclines starts from the Ostbahnhof, with seven hills lined up south of Darmstadt. The most famous hill is the Mathildenhöhe, the centre of Art Nouveau.
A detailed description of the route to the 7-Hügel-Steig can be found on the Bergstraße-Odenwald website.
Pedelecs at the Darmstadt Shop
Pedelecs are available for rent at the Darmstadt Shop. Prices: 20 € per day, 10 € per 1/2 day, weekend flat rate from Friday 5 pm to Monday 10 am 30 €, deposit 120 €.
The bikes of the brand Kalkhoff offer: a backpeddle breaking system for more safety and shift sensor technology for smooth shifting even under pedal pressure. The best power 14 Ah batteries guarantee over 100 km range for limitless driving pleasure.
Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:
With the Darmstadt Card there is a 50% discount.
Darmstadt Card - public transport and cultural & leisure facilities
The Darmstadt Card is available as a one-and two-day ticket, it includes the use of all public transport in the city area (fare zone 40) and discounts to numerous cultural facilities.
The Darmstadt Card is valid for 1 day at the price of 6 € or for 2 days at the price of 9 €.
Public transport
Free use of public transport (bus and tram) in fare zone 40 (includes Darmstadt, Erzhausen, Messel, Roßdrof, Ober-Ramstadt, Modau, Nieder-Beerbach, Pfungstadt, Griesheim, Weiterstadt) for 1 person on one or two consecutive days.
Free admission
Kunsthalle Darmstadt
Price reduction
for tours and pedelec rentals from Darmstadt Marketing GmbH
Reduced Admission to cultural & leisure facilities
bioversum Kranichstein, Eisenbahnmuseum Darmstadt-Kranichstein, Großherzoglich-Hessische Porzellansammlung, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Hochzeitsturm, Literaturhaus Darmstadt (Hauptprogramm), MUSEUM Jagdschloss Kranichstein, Museum Künstlerkolonie Darmstadt, Schlossmuseum Darmstadt, Staatstheater Darmstadt (Repertoirevorstellungen), Bezirksbad Bessungen, DSW Freibad, Mühltalbad Eberstadt, Naturbad Großer Woog, Nordbad
Free of charge
info broschure at the Weißen Turm
World Heritage bus "Line M"
World Heritage bus "Line M" between the city centre and Mathildenhöhe.
Daily between 10:45 am and 5:15 pmm every 30 minutes, starting at the bus stop darmstadtium/Kongresszentrum. On the way to Mathildenhöhe it stops at the stop Pützerstraße and at the Ostbahnhof. Return trips from Mathildenhöhe to the city centre every 30 minutes between 11:02 am and 5:32 pm from the Olbrichweg stop (Museum Artists' Colony), on its way back to the city centre stopping at the Ostbahnhof and at the Jugendstilbad (Art Nouveau Swimming Bath).
The bus line M can be used with regular RMV tickets. A single ticket costs 2.50 euros, reduced 1.55 euros. All standard RMV tickets can be purchased on the buses.
Our tip:
The Darmstadt Card. It includes the use of all public transport in the city (tariff zone 40) and, among other things, discounts at the Museum Künstlerkolonie (Museum Artists' Colony) and the Hochzeitsturm (Wedding Tower). >> www.darmstadt-tourismus.de/darmstadt-card
Shopping with the Darmstadt Gutschein
The vouchers worth 10, 25, 50 or 100 euros can be bought online and in the Darmstadt Shop and can be redeemed in about 60 shops and restaurants in Darmstadt.
Further information at www.darmstadtgutschein.de.
World Heritage Festival Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt - 3. and 4. June 2023
On the weekend of the German World Heritage Day (3. and 4. June 2023), the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt celebrates its first World Heritage Festival.
The highlight on Saturday (3.6.) is the Illumination Festival, which illuminates the grounds and buildings as in the days of the Artists' Colony more than 100 years ago. In addition to the Artists' Colony Museum and the Wedding Tower, House Olbrich and Large Glückert House are open. Music, arts and crafts and a gastronomic offer complete the programme.
On Sunday (4.6.) there will be various guided tours of the grounds and through the artists' houses. Visitors will gain insight into the origins of the Artists' Colony and their way of life. From the Wedding Tower you can enjoy the view over the Mathildenhöhe. Music, a family programme, artisans and gastronomic offerings complete the programme on Sunday as well.
Timetable:
Saturday, 3.6., from 6 pm to midnight
Sunday, 4.6., from 11 am to 6 pm
Darmstadt WiFi
With the Darmstadt WiFi users in the city centre have unlimited use of the urban WLAN network. Just select „WiFi Darmstadt“ in your wifi settings and log on at www.service.thecloud.eu.
Here you can use the "WiFi Darmstadt":
Darmstadt city centre
- Luisenplatz
- Wilhelminenstraße
- City Carree
- Ernst-Ludwigs-Platz
- Friedensplatz
- Marktplatz
- Ludwigsplatz
- Stadtkirchplatz
- Schlossgraben
- Karolinenplatz
- BIZ (Bürgerinformationszentrum) (Indoor)
- Darmstadt Shop Luisenplatz (Indoor)
Staatstheater Darmstadt
- in the Staatstheater and
- outdoor on the Georg-Büchner-Platz
City districts Darmstadt
- Arheilgen: Löwenplatz
- Eberstadt: stop Wagenhalle
- Kranichstein: stop Gruberstr./Brentanoanlage
- Wixhausen: Bahnhofstr./Falltorstr.
Griesheim
Wilhelm-Leuchner-Str.: stops Wagenhalle to Platz Bar-Le-Duc
Cooperation HEAG Mobilo
- in front of the main station "Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof"
- Arheilgen stop Dreieichweg
- Kranichstein stop Bahnhof
- Griesheim stop Bar-Le-Duc
Cooperation TU Darmstadt/eduroam
Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt, ULB Darmstadt
- ULB Stadtmitte
- ULB Lichtwiese
- stop Botanischer Garten
Cooperation with the Modehaus Henschel at the market square

Contact

Darmstadt Shop Luisencenter
Luisenplatz 5
64283 Darmstadt
Tel.: +49 6151 - 1345-13
Fax: +49 6151 - 1347-5858
information@darmstadt.de
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm
World Heritage "Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt"
The "Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2021. For more information on Mathildenhöhe and how to get there, click here.
