Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [471]
To avoid hassles and/or parking fees, you may want to ditch your car out of the centre on a U-Bahn or S-Bahn line and use public transport.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Frankfurt’s excellent transport network, run by traffiQ ( 01805-069 960; www.traffiq.de, in German), integrates all bus, tram, S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines (in general the U-Bahn is underground only in the city centre). The city centre’s main transport hubs are Hauptwache, Konstablerwache and Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. Each site mentioned in the Frankfurt am Main section has the nearest U-Bahn or S-Bahn station indicated right after the address, though in some cases (eg northern Sachsenhausen) a tram or bus will bring you closer.
Nachtbus (night bus; www.nachtbus-frankfurt.de, in German) lines leave from the east side of Konstablerwache (Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse) half-hourly (hourly for some suburban destinations) from 1.30am to 3.30am on Friday and Saturday nights and holiday eves.
Single or day tickets can be purchased from the machines at transit stops. Zone 50 encompasses most of Frankfurt, excluding the airport. An Einzelfahrkarte (single-ride ticket) costs €2.30 (€3.70 to the airport); a ticket for a Kurzstrecke (short trip; consult the list on machines) costs €1.50.
A Tageskarte (24-hour ticket) is €5.80 (€9.10 including the airport); a Gruppentageskarte, the version valid for up to five people, costs just €8.70 – a superb deal. A Wochenkarte (weekly pass, valid for any seven consecutive days) costs €21.10 (including the airport) and is also a great deal.
TAXI
Taxis are quite expensive. There’s a €2.75 hire charge (€3.25 at night); travel costs €1.65 per kilometre (€1.75 at night), with a waiting charge of €0.35 per minute (€0.46 at night). There are taxi ranks throughout the city, or you can call 250 001, 203 04 or 7930 7999.
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DARMSTADT
06151 / pop 142,000
Jugendstil (art nouveau) architecture and a world-renowned technical university are hallmarks of this modest but interesting city about 35km south of Frankfurt. Despite some atrocious postwar architecture (the university has some real zingers), Darmstadt is a pretty city, and just the right size for strolling.
The super-heavy element Darmstadtium (Ds; atomic number: 110) was first created here in 1994. In its honour, the city’s new conference centre was named the Darmstadtium.
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Orientation
The Hauptbahnhof is connected to Luisen-platz, the focal point of the city centre, by a long walk (1.5km) or a short ride east along Rheinstrasse, which is 200m to the right as you exit the train station. Mathildenhöhe and its museums are 1.5km northeast of Luisenplatz, and about 500m north of the Grosser Woog (a lake).
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Information
ATMs There are several around Luisenplatz.
Call Shop & Internet Cafe (Wilhelminenstrasse 8; internet access per hr €1; 10am-11pm Mon-Sat, 11am-11pm Sun) Facing the west side of the Luisencenter shopping mall, in the same passage as the cinema.
Post office (Luisenplatz) On the northwest corner.
Tourist office ( 4513; www.darmstadt-marketing.de; Luisenplatz 5; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 10am-2pm Sun) In the north side of the Luisencenter shopping mall. Has tourist information and cultural events tickets.
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Sights & Activities
Darmstadt’s biggest attraction is the former Künstlerkolonie (artists colony) at Mathildenhöhe (www.mathildenhoehe.info), surrounded by a lovely hilltop park with fountains. Famous for its Darmstädter Jugendstil architecture and creations, it was established in 1899 at the behest of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig. The area is linked to the centre by bus F.
The Museum Künstlerkolonie ( 133 385; Olbrichweg 13; adult/student €5/3; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) displays stunningly elegant Jugendstil furniture, tableware, textiles, ceramics and jewellery. Nearby, the Ausstellungsgebäude Mathildenhöhe ( 132 778; adult €5-8, student €3-6; 10am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, to 9pm Thu) puts on temporary art exhibitions. The slope to the west is