Upscale ambience and modern services: Mannheim, the second largest city in Baden-Württemberg, surprises its visitors with its many fascinating facets such as the city's landmark, the Mannheim Water Tower, as well as one of Europe's most beautiful Art Nouveau parks and the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar into Europe's second largest domestic harbours. And if Mannheim's many sites aren't enough, the Odenwald mountain range and Palatinate regions, two of Germany's most beautiful tourist regions, are both located nearby.

Places of interest in Mannheim

Old observatory, Christ Church, Congress Centrum, harbour, central railway station, Jesuit Church, Jewish community centre and mosque, Rosengarten cultural centre, art exhibition hall, market square, National Theatre, Paradeplatz, Reiss Museum, Rhine promenade, palace and palace church, Stadthaus N1, Water Tower. Mannheim's Art Nouveau-style Rosengarten was built in 1903 based on the award-winning design from Berlin architect Bruno Schmitz. The Rosengarten is nestled in the Friedrichsplatz's unique Art Nouveau arrangement near Mannheim's landmark, the Water Tower, alongside the restored Friedrichsbau that brings the splendour of the Renaissance back to life.

State Museum

Landesmuseum Mannheim
The permanent exhibition on the museum's six storeys includes a total of 15 exhibitions organised into seven categories:
communication, steam engines and nuclear power plants, machinery, metals and plastics, railways and automobiles, agriculture, commerce and metropolis, paper, printing and textiles.
Special exhibitions are featured regularly.
Opening hours:
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, Wednesday from 9 am to 8 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays and holidays from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Entry fees: Adults 3 €, reduced 2 €, family card 6 € (at least 1 adult and 1 child)
Entry for the permanent exhibition is free on Wednesdays.
Prices vary for the special exhibitions.

Planetarium

One of the world's first planetariums, located in the lower Luisenpark with a 24.5 m dome and 514 seats, was opened in Mannheim back in 1927. However, the old planetarium was only open for 16 years; the dome was heavily damaged during a bomb raid in 1943 and was not rebuilt, but instead was completely demolished ten years later. Beginning in 1975, a citizens' initiative campaigned to have the planetarium rebuilt. Today's planetarium features a 20 m projection dome and space for around 280 visitors. Numerous technical improvements have been added from 1984 to today, including a show laser system, equipment and large-scale video display projectors. In October 2002, the projection system was replaced by a 3 million Euro, ultra-modern high-tech instrument: the Universarium from Carl Zeiss Jena. Thanks to the device's fibre optics, stars are now more realistic than ever and feature an unsurpassed brilliance.

Entry fees: Adults 5.50 €, discounted 4.50 €, children (14 and under) 3 €
For opening hours for the shows and tickets, please call +49 (0) 621 415 692.

Luisenpark and Herzogenriedpark

The city's two major parks, the Luisenpark and the Herzogenriedpark, boast an exceptional reputation even outside of the city. The Luisenpark, covering an area of 41 hectares, is the larger of the two. Its history extends back before the turn of the century. Today, the Luisenpark is considered one of the most beautiful parks in Europe - and not just according to Mannheim's residents. This park in the middle of the town centre features a botanical garden, a zoo, an amusement park and a theme park.
The Kutzerweiher Lake is idyllically located in the middle of the park. On sunny days, many visitors take one of the "gondolettas" out onto the lake. Another one of the park's many highlights was the opening of the 5,000 m2 Chinese Gardens in 2001, which include a two-storey tea house, a triumphal arch in the entrance area, a stage, an artificial hill with a waterfall, a zig-zag bridge, a flower pavilion with peonies and the verweilende Wolke ("lingering cloud") pavilion.
The Herzogenried Park spans 22 hectares and is thus the smaller of the two city parks. For the residents of the Neckarstadt und Wohlgelegen neighbourhoods, this park offers a conveniently-located recreation and relaxation area. Not to be overlooked is the Mannheim Multihalle, built for the BUGA, the German Federal Horticulture Show, and known as the architectural "Wunder von Mannheim" ("miracle of Mannheim"). The self-supporting dome is 20 m high and 60 m wide. The petting zoo, mini-golf area and the mini-boot pond with cable ferry behind the Multihalle are also popular.
Older visitors enjoy the show gardens, which feature a rose garden with 20,000 roses, sun terraces, or the open-air terrace on pond shore.

Ladenburg

Ladenburg (a city that took advantage of the opportunity to retain the historic townscape as a model of a connected scaled urban landscape) is located between Mannheim and Heidelberg. The well-preserved aristocratic and commoner homes from the 15th and 16th century as well as the 12th -century city walls with two distinctive towers are truly remarkable. The Lobdengau Museum houses an outstanding collection of local history as well as evidence of Roman deity cults. The former home of Carl Benz, now the Benz Museum, and the Benz Monument are both located just outside the city walls.

Palatinate

Die Pfalz
Getting to Germany's Palatinate region is as easy as simply crossing the Rhine from Mannheim. The region is characterised by gently rolling vineyards, extensive orchards, far-reaching forests and a climate reminiscent of southern Europe. The German Wine Route features tranquil, romantic corners that are anything but sleepy when the wine festival season begins: jazz, pop, rock or classic concerts among ancient ruins and picturesque wineries shouldn't be missed. Castles and palaces line the German Wine Route; churches and monasteries offer extensive opportunities for discovering the sites and cultural assets of the dynamic, harmonic landscape. The local saying, "Zum Wohl. Die Pfalz", can be taken literally: Palatinate. To your health.

Heidelberg

Heidelberg is world-famous as the cradle of German Romanticism and a university city located just 20 km from Mannheim. The town centre with its numerous delightful corners and alleyways is situated on the banks of the Neckar. Students still characterise the townscape today and the university's humanities faculties are all still located in the town centre. Enjoy a magnificent view from the Philosopher's Way or old bridge. The Heidelberger Castle (which is more like castle ruins, but which still attract visitors from around the world) towers above the town centre. For a romantic experience, take a walk through the castle grounds or discover the Heidelberg Tun that holds 221,726 litres of wine inside the castle. An additional highlight is the German Pharmacy Museum.

Hockenheimring

The final week in July is when hoards of enthusiastic motor sport fans flock to the Ring when the big Formula 1 prize is awarded in Hockenheim. Hockenheim fittingly features a museum for motorsport fans. The Tobacco Museum is also worth visiting.
To experience how it feels to be on the Hockenheim Ring yourself, simply call +49 (0) 620 595 0212.