The observatory on Ludwigshöhe, a popular destination in southern Darmstadt and one of the highest points in the city, has existed since 1981. The building was built and expanded with a great deal of work, in large part by the club members themselves. The observation devices are distributed over a large roller roof platform and a dome. These include workshops, exhibition and group rooms, a lecture hall and an extensive library with over 600 volumes of astronomical literature.

The newly built BMX facility in Bürgerpark-Nord is one of the largest and most modern outdoor facilities in Germany and offers riders wooden ramps and bowl areas for a wide range of performance levels on a total area of around 2,500 square meters. A special feature is the integrated Resi Ramp. A ramp covered with foam and rubber, which invites you to practice jumps and other tricks thanks to the cushioning and suspension.

The garden between Eschollbrücker Straße and Schepp Allee was laid out in 1817, still far outside the city, at the instigation of Grand Duke Ludewig I on a property that belonged to his daughter-in-law, Hereditary Princess Wilhelmine. Eight paths radiated through the garden from an octagonal central square. Due to the poor sandy soil, it was planted with acacias and therefore got its name.

Since 1986 the garden and the perimeter buildings have been listed as an ensemble.

The 50 by 21 meter competition pool, the 25 by 16.75 meter multi-purpose pool with an integrated three-meter diving tower and an aquacross course, the exercise pool with dimensions of 12.5 by 8 meters, the teaching pool with an area of 20 by 12 meters and the small children's paddling area allow a variety of exercise options.

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission

Known today as the "Alter Friedhof“, Darmstadt’s old cemetry between the Nieder-Ramstaedter-Straße and Herdweg dates back to 1828. Originally rectangular in shape, additions in 1848, 1873 and 1894 have led to its current form. The oldest tombstones are to be found in the northern part of the cemetry.

Darmstadt’s oldest graveyard was around the parish church (Stadtkirche) and was used until 1739. But soon there was no more space there and the Kapellplatz became the new cemetry. By the start of the 19th century, this too had no more room for burials. As a result, the city opted for a new cemetry in the Nieder-Ramstaedter-Strasse. In 1847, the cemetry on the Kapellplatz was turned into a public park.

The popular bathing lake is located in the center of the town and nevertheless forms an island of peace and seclusion. The "Großer Woog" is not only a place of rest and bathing pleasure. The nature paradise is also a meeting place for many waterfowl, such as Stockenten, Gießhühner and Great Blue Heron. The beautiful spacious park invites you to rest and linger.

The Woog was probably created as a quenching pond in the middle of the 16th century. Around the year 1820 he was first mentioned as a public bathing pond.

The entire ensemble, consisting of "family bath" and "island", is under monument protection. The functional building on the family pool side was rebuilt following the example of the "Frauenbad" ("womens' bath"), which was created in 1927/28, and was handed over to the public in 1994.

Swimming pool "Family Bath"

Landgraf-Georg-Str.121

Swimming pool "Island"

Heinrich-Fuhr-Str.20

The summer season for the Woog swimming pool is mid May to September.

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission

The Hofgut Oberfeld is the last farm in the heart of Darmstadt. Many offers such as e.g. the Hofcafé and the farm shop, the Saisongärtel or the "Lernortbauernhof", an agricultural educational initiative at the Hofgut Oberfeld invite you to join in and experience.

The Hofcafé is open daily from 9 am and from 2 pm on public holidays (closed on Sundays)

The farm shop is open Mon-Fri from 9 am to 7 pm and on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm.

Bread rolls at the bakery counter: Mon-Sun from 8 am. No bread roll sale on public holidays.

Noisy monkeys, colourful birds, tropical fish and exotic reptiles are at home in natural enclosures, terrariums and aquariums. 2,000 exotic and native animals of 190 species live on 5 hectares. The walk-in kangaroo facility and the petting zoo with African pygmy goats offer close-up animal observation.

Participation in numerous national and international breeding programs underlines the conservation work in Darmstadt's zoo. Several important breeding groups of endangered reptile and mammal species live here.

The zoo school offers the opportunity to learn a lot of interesting facts about the animals. In the extracurricular learning location "Zoo Vivarium Darmstadt", the little guests experience biology lessons with all their senses - seeing, hearing, smelling and touching.

Tip:

Forest and meadow adventure path with barefoot path and discovery game in the zoo Vivarium

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission for adults

The botanic garden of the Technical University Darmstadt dates back to 1874. Visitors can experience hundred year old exotic trees, winding paths by the local stream as well as heather and alpine gardens and swampland. Between eight and nine thousand different varieties of plant can be found in more than 10 acres of open land and about 1300 square metres of greenhouse, many times more than the number of indigenous plants.

The exhibition in the former armoury of the hunting lodge (Jagdschloss Kranichstein) is a vivid and highly interactive presentation of the diversity of nature. The many events are directed especially at children with an interest in nature. Since 2015, they can play, observe, experiment and build things in the 16.000 square metre "outdoor laboratory".

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission

The main focus of the cinema rex is a diverse range of arthouse productions. Mainly on Mondays, the rex shows a selection of the films in the original version with subtitles.

All rex cinemas can be reached barrier-free.

The former forest of Darmstadt's nobility surrounding the large "Steinbruecker Teich" lake is a much-loved recreational area just outside the gates of the city. Mini-golf, pony rides, pedal boots and a playground for children with and without handicaps all await the vistor.

Since 1901, the café-restaurant Oberwaldhaus offers refreshments, a beergarden and also rooms for overnight guests.

Pony riding Oberwaldhaus: www.ponyhof-oberwaldhaus.de

Pony riding: for children from 3 to 5 years

Take a pony walk (a pony without a rider!): from 6 years

from March to October: Saturday / Sunday / Holidays: 12 pm to 6 pm

Only in dry weather, without registration.

The 80 acre cemetry in the woods (Waldfriehof) is Darmstadt’s largest cemetry. It was opened in 1914. The architect was the head of Darmstadt’s city planning, August Buxbaum. The cemetry was designed in the shape of a horse-shoe. In the middle, a north-south pathway runs from the south entrance to the more recent additions to the cemetry. The city crematorium can be found in the Waldfriedhof.

From late August to mid-March, the Eissporthalle in Bürgerpark Nord attracts many visitors to its 30 x 60 meter ice rink. Here you can slide, curve and dance. On Fridays, the ice rink becomes Disco on Ice.

The season ends at the beginning of April and starts again at the beginning of October.

The Vortex Garden with a villa on Mathildenhöhe is Darmstadt's only public park in private ownership.

Designed according to the principles of permaculture and the balance of natural eco-systems, the owner would like to make the garden accessible as a "place of vitality, renewal and recreation". On request, the design and the idea of the garden are explained to interested visitors.

From 9 am to 9 pm the garden is open for visitors free of charge.

The "Haus Martinus" (formerly "Haus Hubertus") was designed in 1921 by the architect Jan Hubert Pinand.

The Darmstadt sculpture garden is a place of diverse encounters for art and garden lovers. Guests get an insight into the specific features of the artist's garden, which has been created on Ludwigshöhe in the past eighteen years: sculptures, sculptures, objects, installations, natural sculptures, found and collectibles with the surrounding ambience develop into a total work of art on a 4,000 m2 forest area.

Guided tours

The sculpture garden can only be visited with a tour. The tours serve to better understand the art project and its public appreciation.

Sunday tours from 20. June 20 to 14. November 2021

Sundays / public holidays, without registration

In 1995, the Messel pit was the first German natural monument in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. It provides a unique insight into the early evolution of mammals and documents the development of the Earth 48 million years ago when, after the end of the dinosaur age, explosive changes determined the animal and plant world.

Several 10,000 fossils from the Eocene period have been excavated in the Maarvulkan Lake which was created 48 million years ago, and about 3,000 new finds are added annually. In addition to the high number and diversity of animal and plant fossils, their unique preservation of whole body skeletons, skin and coat shadows, feathers and stomach contents is particularly in the Messel pit.

Guided tours are held every day and invite visitors to discover this unique place. Anyone who visits this place will be amazed by the diversity of topics, which is also reflected in the permanent exhibition "Zeit und Messel Welten" (visitor centre). Here, industrial history, landscape, volcanism, rainforest and evolution are explained. The treasure chamber with several original finds also exerts a great fascination.

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission for the visitor centre

The Mühltalbad is located in Eberstadt, the southern part of Darmstadt, at the foot of Odenwald and Bergstraße with a wonderful view of the hill Frankenstein.

The bath was opened in July 1959 and offers as an architectural feature a large window front, from which one can observe the swimmers under water.

The bathroom is exclusively solar heated. There is also a kiosk for guests' convenience.

In order to apply the necessary distance rules to the spatial conditions and to avoid queues at the ticket office, please buy a ticket in andvance in the Darmstadt Shop Luisencenter or online: darmstadt.de/darmstadt-erleben/freizeit/schwimmbaeder.

The outdoor pool season will start in May and will finish in September.

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission

The rose garden (Rosarium) with its enormous variety of roses is the centre of attention on the Rosenhoehe, which came into being under Landgrave Ernst Ludwig. The hill became a park as early as 1810, when Grand Duchess Wilhelmine created a landscaped garden, with pavilions, swings and a tea house. The Rosenhoehe, with its old and new mausoleums, is also the final resting place of the families of the grand dukes.

The nature reserve "Scheftheimer Wiesen" was established in 1993. On 166.7 hectares there are protected wetland biotopes, burial mounds and the menhir complex, a formation of erected granite blocks. Here, history and nature combine in a very special way!