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 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 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.

Initially laid out as a large vegetable garden, the Herrngarten became a baroque pleasure garden in the 17th century und later, in the 18th century under Countess Caroline, an English-style park. To the north-east, it borders on Prinz-Georgs-Garten, a Rococo-style complex in which fruit and vegetables can be found in between the trees and shrubs.

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 Ludwigshöhe, also called Bessunger Hausberg, is a popular excursion destination in the south of Darmstadt.

Discovered as a destination at the beginning of the 19th century, the flow of visitors increased from year to year. After the construction of a small wooden temple, a massive inn was built in 1838, which was constantly rebuilt and expanded over the years. The excursion destination was crowned by the construction of a 27.5 m high lookout tower, the Ludwigsturm

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.

The Darmstadt city centre cinemas offer space for 1,550 visitors in 13 cinemas, divided into the four cinema locations "Helia Kinos", "programmkino rex", "Festival" and "Pali". The cinema location is centrally located on Luisenplatz and can be reached by public transport (bus stop Luisenplatz) and very easy to reach by car. Public parking is available in the parking lot "Q-Park Grafenstrasse".

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.

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.

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission

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

On the occasion of the exhibition of the Artists’s Colony in 1914, the Platanenhain, a grove of plane trees planted in the 1830’s, was decorated by the sculptor Bernhard Hoetger with a row of sculptures and reliefs, which symbolise the circle of life.

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

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 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 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.

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.