Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [473]
‘There’s lots of growth – and more and more jobs – in the renewable energy sector,’ Brigitte observed. This is due to the urgent need to reduce greenhouse emissions and because Germany, like the rest of the EU, is seeking greater independence from potentially unreliable energy suppliers in Russia and the Middle East. ‘In Germany, about 50% of organic waste is collected. To use it to produce energy – that’s the way German government policy is going.’
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Eating & Drinking
In the warm season there are outdoor cafes two blocks southeast of Luisenplatz on the Marktplatz. Cheap eats can be found near the Technische Universität, eg east of the Schloss along Landgraf-Georg-Strasse.
City Braustübl ( 255 11; Wilhelminenstrasse 31; mains €7.90-15.50; 11am-midnight Mon-Fri, 11am-1am Sat & Sun) A classic brewery-affiliated restaurant, with wood-plank floors and hops hanging from the rafters. Strong on regional dishes that can be washed down with beers brewed over near the Hauptbahnhof. Situated three short blocks south of Luisenplatz.
An Sibin ( 204 52; www.ansibin.com; Landgraf-Georg-Strasse 25; 6pm-1am Sun-Wed, 6pm-3am Thu-Sat, may open earlier for sports events Sat & Sun) An Irish pub and live concert venue good for a few rounds and a yarn or four. Tuesday is quiz night, on Thursday there’s karaoke and on Sunday a traditional dinner is served.
For self-catering, try Tegut supermarket (cnr Marktplatz & Ludwigstrasse; 7am-9pm Mon-Sat).
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Entertainment
Goldene Krone ( 213 52; www.goldene-krone.de; Schustergasse 18) An old favourite, with concerts, disco dance parties, a bar, billiards and lots more. The entrance is on Holzstrasse around the corner from the Schloss.
Centralstation ( 366 8899; www.centralstation-darmstadt.de, in German; Im Carree; cafe 10am-1am Mon-Thu, 10am-3am Fri & Sat) This cultural venue, housed in the city’s first electric power plant (built 1888), has an excellent midday buffet restaurant (open noon to 2.30pm except Sunday), a cocktail lounge (open 8pm to 1am, until 3am on Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday except when there’s a concert) and live music (especially jazz but also pop and classical). Situated in the courtyard across Luisenstrasse from the tourist office.
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Getting There & Around
Frequent S-Bahn trains link Darmstadt with Frankfurt’s Hauptbahnhof (€6.75, 30 minutes).
Trams 3 and 4 and bus H, among others, link the Hauptbahnhof with Luisenplatz.
There’s free parking about 1km east of the centre around the Grosser Woog and the DJH hostel.
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AROUND DARMSTADT
Kloster Lorsch
Founded in the 8th century, and Unesco-listed in 1991, Kloster Lorsch (Lorsch Abbey; 06251-103 820; www.kloster-lorsch.de; Nibelungenstrasse 35, Lorsch; adult/concession €4/3; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) was an important religious site in its heyday, especially for the Carolingian dynasty. A visit to the monastery makes a nice excursion from Darmstadt, despite few of the original buildings having been preserved (the Königshalle and Altenmünster are the most accessible). The complex has three museum sections – one on the history of the abbey, the second on life in Hesse, and a third on tobacco, which was cultivated in Lorsch in the late 17th century. Lorsch is easily reached from Darmstadt along the A5 or the A67 south, or via the picturesque Bergstrasse (B3). The train from Darmstadt goes via Bensheim (25 minutes). The abbey is a 10-minute walk from the station.
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Messel
Another Unesco monument, the Grube Messel (Messel Pit) fossil site contains a wealth of well-preserved animal and plant remains from the Eocene era, around