Studying in Darmstadt (Hochschule Darmstadt)

Studieren und Leben in Darmstadt | Hessen schafft Wissen

There are different reasons that make Darmstadt a great choice for studying and living there. Darmstadt is a medium-sized city with an approximated population of 150,000. It is a student city with over 41,000 students of three universities and has a rich cultural and social life.
Darmstadt is located in the Rhine-Main region, which is well known as the economic hub of Europe and Germany’s most cosmopolitan region. The highly developed infrastructure attracts multinational companies to the region, offering interesting job opportunities during or after your MBA studies.
The city offers a broad range of cultural and social events, shopping, nightlife, music, sports, nature, and other recreational activities. Also, you are out in the nature in no time, as Darmstadt is surrounded by landscapes such as Odenwald, Bergstraße, or the romantic Rhine region.
However, if the city feels a bit too small for you, it takes just 30 minutes by train to get to Frankfurt am Main or the international airport. The central location of Darmstadt ensures very good transportation links to nearly any place in Europe, making it easy for you to explore any place you like.
Your student ID card, which is also your ticket for public transportation and covers most of the Hesse area, makes it easy to visit cities such as Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Gießen, Marburg, Fulda and Limburg. You can even reach other European cities such as Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam in about 6 hours.
If you want to learn more about Darmstadt, please check the city's homepage on the topics experience Darmstadt, Living in Darmstadt and Location.

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Darmstadt or short "h_da") is a university that is focused on practical knowledge. All of our professors have worked in the industry at least 5 years before they were called to h_da. This means you will receive experts’ first hand practical and technical knowledge experience.
Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest practice-oriented state universities in Hesse. More than 17,000 students study at several campuses in the cities of Darmstadt and Dieburg. The university's range of courses and research expertise extends from engineering, mathematics and natural sciences, information science and computer science to economics and society as well as architecture, media and design. There are 12 departments with over 70 degree programmes with
diploma, bachelor's and master's degrees.
There are around 1,000 people working at the h_da as professors/lecturers or employees. The total student population is around 17,000 students, with 18-20% international students. This makes the h_da a great opportunity for not only getting to know Germany and its culture but also students and cultures from around the world. It also enables you to discover new perspectives and other cultures while establishing contacts for your future.
The main building of the campus in Darmstadt is a highrise also known as the “cheese grater” due to its jagged aluminium panels which have become a trademark of the h_da. The renovation work on Darmstadt's tallest building had the goal of more light, more space and a modern interior. The north side was glazed, the east side extended by a four-metre-wide extension. This created bright offices, seminar rooms, lecture halls and laboratories inside. The President's Office, Central Administration, AStA, Student Service Centre, Examination Office and the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences can be found inside this building. The ground floor hosts the "Glaskasten" café run by the AStA.
If you like to get an insight into Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, check out our virtual campus tour or watch the first semester welcome event of 2020, which was streamed and recorded due to the Corona Pandemia (start at minute 29.52).

Darmstadt is „City of Science“. This designation, which was awarded to the city in 1997 with a certificate by the Hessian ministry of the Interior, is recognising the national and international meaning of the city in the areas of science and research. Darmstadt earned the title through centuries of growth and is one of four German cities to which this title was awarded. With its high proportion of employees in the sectors of research and science on the job market, the city adopts a countrywide leading position. At this point, one out of ten inhabitants works in research or development. The demand for qualified employees in the city exceeds what the region can supply.
Darmstadt has an unusually high concentration of businesses, institutions and associations of extraordinary quality. Globally operating companies such as Merck, Software AG, Kao Germany, Evonik-Röhm or Schenk-Process have distinctive departments of research and development at their disposal. Additionally, the mission control centre (ESOC – European Space Operation Centre) of the European Space Agency (ESA) is located in Darmstadt and is ‘Europe’s gateway to space’, monitoring all of ESA’s satellite missions from here.

Since 2010, the city of science and culture has been one of the ten most sustainable cities in Germany. In 2017, Darmstadt won the Bitkom competition "Digital City". The goal of the comptetion is to create a digital model city with international appeal. By implementing digital smart city technologies, Darmstadt has since been building an urban digital ecosystem with tangible benefits for citizens with its partners from science, politics and business.
The projects realized in the scope of teh digital city focus on three key topics: Mobility & Environment, digital services & society, economy & technology. As one goal is to strenghten participation, the are different options to get involved in the ongoing projects. You can find a list and description of the projects here.

There are lots of opportunities to meet other (international) students and to network with other students from abroad. Some opportunities are to attend a german language course, to hang out in the student café "Glaskasten", to attend university sports courses or to move into a student residence. Besides, there are some groups, that run events adressing students of all semesters to get in contact and build a network.
ITT: The international tutors team is a service offered by the “Studierendenwerk” for all universities in Darmstadt. The tutors are students themselves and offer orientation about the universities and help with formalities and the language. They also organise different activities for students: leisure activities, excursions, tours, parties, cultural events, and workshops. Please find more information on their website.
ESN Darmstadt: ESN is a student-run organisation at Technical University Darmstadt and University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt and member of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe. They support the integration of all international students, helping you to settle into life in Germany and have an unforgettable experience.

Darmstadt offers a broad range of leisure activities in and around the city. Whether you like to meet friends in a café or bar, go shopping, join the nightlife or like to be out in the nature, you will find a variety of options. You can also join group activities to explore the city and its surroundings. For example, the international tutors team offers leisure time activities throughout the year.
Some of the cultural highlights of Darmstadt are the „Jugendstil“ or „Art Noveau“ buildings that you can find throughout the city, such as Mathildenhöhe with its “Hochzeitsturm” (wedding tower), the buildings of the museum, the Russian chapel, and the artists’ colony. “Hessisches Landesmuseum” is the most popular Museum in Darmstadt due to its multidisciplinary exhibition ranging from fossils found in the UNESCO World Heritage site Messel Pit to modern Art.
Cultural offers range from theatres, art galleries and museums to comedy, science slam or concerts. Besides of the Staatstheater and Centralstation, there are lots of smaller event locations. You can find a list of upcoming events in the "P Magazin" or the cities event calendar.
The city hosts two big yearly events - Heinerfest and Schlossgrabenfest. The Heinerfest is a folk fest, which covers the whole city centre every first July weekend. The Schlossgrabenfest is a music, culture and culinary festival taking place in and around the historical residence castle each year in May. With around 100 bands and 400,000 visitors, it is one of the biggest inner city festivals in Germany.
Almost one hundred sports clubs offer more than 1,500 different opportunities to engage in sports. There is a climbing and blouder hall, a skatepark, an ice rink and lots of other opportunities to work out indoors or outdoors. Besides, as you are out in the nature quickly, Darmstadt is a good place for hiking, biking or horse riding.
In summer, two natural lakes in the city as well as several public swimming pools offer the opportunity to swim. Lake Woog is conveniently placed in the city and lake Grube Prinz von Hessen is a bigger lake placed in the woods northeast of Darmstadt.
The spa “Jugendstilbad” in the original historical ambience from the year 1909 is open throughout the year.
The area where Darmstadt is located is one of the warmest areas in Germany. During the Summer, June-September, the average temperature is between 20ºC and 25ºC. June and August are the months with the most rain. While July is the most sunny month and the month with more light hours since the sun will set around 23:00hrs, January is the coldest month with 3ºC on average.
If you want to learn more about Darmstadt, please check the city's homepage on the topics experience Darmstadt, Living in Darmstadt and Location. For more information on the surroundings, please check the section "The Vicinity - enjoy the Rhine-Main-Region". 

Among the most important things you have to factor in when you plan to study in Germany are your living expenses which are usually ranging from 750€ to 1.000€ a month. According to statistics students in Germany spend around 850 euros per month for living costs on average.
The highest expenditure will be rent for accommodation. The expenses included in the estimated monthly costs are:

• Rent: 300€-500€
• Food: 200€-300€
• Health Insurance (Mandatory): 90€-120€
• Other*: 150€-250€
• *Including: mobile phone, internet contracts, clothes, learning aids, free time activities (recreation/culture/sports), travelling, etc.

Tip: To learn more about living costs in Germany, visit Study-in-Germany. In addition to your livings costs, you need to pay the semester contribution (mandatory at every german university) for every semester enrolled. The semester fee becomes due twice a year (which includes your Semester Ticket for public transportation in germany).
As master courses like the MBA are not state funded, you will need to pay the respective tuition fee. Please see the MBA homepage for further information on fees and scholarships.
To cover these expenses, we recommend you to make sure that you have sufficient financial resources to support yourself before travelling to Germany. If you have a blocked account you will be receiving 861€ per month (according to the requisites in 2021), an amount which should be enough to cover your expenses if you manage your expenses properly.

It is indeed very helpful to know some basic terms for everyday life - even if most people do understand at least some basic English. The first steps in learning German can easily be done online. Besides of a variety of apps, there are two online portals which we can highly recommend: Deutsche Welle and Goethe Institut. In addition, you are welcome to register for a German Language Course at h_da as soon as you got admitted to the MBA program.
As you will most likely come across some unfamiliar german terms, usually not taught on beginners level, we created a glossary for the most important things you may come across in the first time in Germany. You can find terms of the categories Application & Enrolment, Accomodation, University, General Administration and Living in Germany - each one with an english translation and a short desription.

Even though the entirety of classes and exams during your programme will be held in English, learning the german language is important for everyday life in Germany and will increase your chance on the german job market, as German is the main used language.
We highly encourage learning German for a successful stay in Darmstadt. Your intercultural experience will be enhanced if you are able to speak the local language while also learning about the culture. In addition to that, speaking the local language will enable you to settle in a lot quicker and to make friends more easily.
As you will most likely come across some unfamiliar german terms before you start a language course, we created a glossary for the most important things you may come across in the first time in Germany. You can find terms of the categories Application & Enrolment, Accomodation, University, General Administration and Living in Germany - each one with an english translation and a short desription.

First of all - there are multiple ways to learn a new language and which one is best depends on your preferences. However, it is recommedable to practice the language besides of an official language course to get a feeling for the language and improve your speaking skills.
Good ways to learn German are for example by taking part in a German course offered by our language centre (see next section), by meeting people for tandem, making new friends, attend activities with other international students or study with online material. Please check the next sections for details and choose the option that suits the best for you.

Yes, it does! The language centre of h_da offers a variety of levels for German language courses. And the best? They are entirely free of charge for all students enrolled at h_da!
There are two types of courses offered:

• DaF - Intensive Courses – German as a foreign language (A1.1/A1.2/A2.1/A2.2/B1.1/B1.2/B2.1/B2.2)
Offered in March and September, face to face on Campus Darmstadt, scheduled for 3-4 weeks, daily between 8.30 – 11.45 a.m.

• DaF - Extensive Courses - German as a foreign language (A1.1/A1.2/A2.1/A2.2/B1.1/B1.2/B2.1/B2.2)
Offered during the summer and winter semester, face to face on Campus Darmstadt, on Tuesdays and Fridays (two times a week) always between 14.15 – 17.30 p.m.

There will always be online courses as well for some level. All courses end with a written exam in presence. There are fixed rules regarding the number of missed classes for exam admission.
Application via course cataloque at https://my.h-da.de Language Centre -> German as a foreign language (A1-B2) for international students, Erasmus students, and especially Master or Electrical Engineering
If you do not yet have a matriculation number, please send an email to german@h-da.de.
Please note: The Language centre need to know your current language level to place you in the appropriate level. If you have not yet completed a German course at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, you must take an online test from Deutsche Welle and send the results within the registration period to german@h-da.de.
For more information, please get in touch with the program management or administration of your MBA program.

There is a variety of private language institutes in Darmstadt and around. These may be helpful for you, if you already have a German language level higher than B2 – which is where the university’s courses usually end.
Goethe Institute: High quality language courses for different skill levels (A1-C2), costs between 100€-270€.
Volkshochschule Darmstadt: Courses focused on everyday life and professional area. Different levels are offered every semester with a cost around 100€-280€ depending of how many sessions the course has.
VHS Darmstadt-Dieburg: Courses focus on everyday life and professional area from A1 to B1 level. Courses start every month, comprise of 100 hours and cost about 280€.
Berlitz Different level courses and group types can be offered there. For more information we recommend visiting their website.
Lernstudio Barbarossa It also offers courses of different levels and needs. For more details, we recommend visiting their website.

You can also learn German through self-learning, which can be flexible according to your schedule and activities. On the other hand, there is no personal guidance, feedback, or clarifications. We would suggest these options as a complement of your German courses or to start learning from home.
Please find some offers we would recommend below:
German Academic Exchange Service: General advice for improving your German skills.
Deutsche Welle: Free e-learning platform for different skill levels.
It is always a good opportunity to search for activities, where you get in contact with other students to improve your language skills. For example, we would recommend the activties of the intercultural tutors team of the Studierendenwerk Darmstadt.
Language apps like duolingo are a good opportunity to start with. In addition to the most known apps, there are a lot of options that go beyond the very basics. We found a good overview here (please note, that we did not check each app or the blog as such).

Yes, it is possible. However, it is important to know that there are labour laws that precisely stipulate how many hours students are allowed to work. The regulations vary according to where the students come from.
Students from the EU/EEA (also students from Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland) have the same entitlement as German students and open access to the job market in Germany. You can work up to 20 hours per week while studying or respectively earn up to 450€ per month on average. If you exceed this, you will be required to pay into the German social security system and you will not be allowed to stay in the student tariff for health insurance.
If you are from a non-European country, you are permitted to work only 120 full or 240 half days a year. This also includes voluntary work placements. There are exceptions for student assistant or research assistant jobs in universities, the Studierendenwerk or the AStAs, which are exempted from the time restrictions. If you wish to work more, you need a permit from the "AgenturfürArbeit" (Federal
Employment Agency) and the foreigners' authorities. Please note, that Non-EU students are not allowed to work self-employed as a freelancer.
Please note: The labour laws pertaining to international students are very restrictive and if you break them, you risk being expelled from the country. For further information, please check the German Academic Exchange Services’ homepage for detailed Information on work regulations for Students.
We strongly advise you that if you have any questions regarding working as a foreign student in Germany to contact the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners registration office) since they can give you up to date information, matching your individual case.

For the majority of students in Germany, it's quite normal to work part-time while studying. As an international student, you are allowed to work in Germany as well (please see the section “Is it possible to work whilst studying?” for further information).
In Germany, it is very common that companies post job vacancies on their own websites. Therefore, you should have a look at the websites of the companies you are interested in. Some examples of large enterprises located in Darmstadt are for example: Merck, Telekom, Software AG, Döhler, and Evonik.
Besides, you can also check the following general job portals:
• The job Portal of h_da
• The job portal of the faculty of economics and business administration
• The job portal of the local job center (AgenturfürArbeit):
• Stepstone is an online job portal which is specialized in skilled workers and executives
• Monster is an Online job portal, similar to Stepstone
• The job portal of the local newspaper “Darmstädter Echo”
• The job portal of the local newspaper “Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitung”

The number of job openings is very limited if you do not speak German. If you want to try anyhow, we recommend addressing companies situated in Darmstadt but operating worldwide.
However, we recommend making the most of the opportunity to take a language course while studying for your Master's degree. Of course, you can do an entire degree at a German university in English and fellow students might not have a problem answering you with a bit more than a "yes" or a "no". For personal contact with future colleagues, it is definitely advisable to have a command of the German language.
The University does offer German language courses free of cost for all students enrolled. Please see the section “German Language Courses” for further information.

There are no special requirements for student jobs. Typical jobs for students, where you usually do not need any entrance qualification, are for example waitressing, cashiering or working as bike courier. However, please keep in mind that even though it is not impossible to find a part-time job speaking only English, it will be easier if you can speak basic German.
As an MBA student, you will have a bachelors' degree as well as some work experience. Therefore, we would suggest to aim for a qualified part-time job in the field of your first degree. Most companies offer jobs for students (Werksstudierendenjobs), which are often leading to a cooperation for a master thesis project. Herefore you will need a certificate showing that you are currently enrolled in a university.
If you want to apply for a qualified job or even full-time employment (when enrolling in the part-time MBA program), you will most certainly need to meet some formal criteria like a university degree in a specific course of study. The job requirements differ from job to job and you can find a precise description in the respective job proposal.

Students in Germany can earn up to €450 per month on an annual average tax-free.
If you earn more than this, you will receive an income tax number and have automatic tax deductions from your salary. Some employers may withhold income tax despite the low income, but you can reclaim this after submitting your income tax statement.
Please note, that if you exceed this amount, you will lose your student status. This means, for example, you will no longer be allowed to stay in the student tariff of your health insurance.
Please note: If you stay in Germany based on a residence permit for the purpose of studying, you need the permission of the Ausländerbehörde (foreigner’s office) to work more than 20 hours a week and/or earn more than 450€. Work regulations for international students are very strict. You risk losing your residence permit, when exceeding the regulations.

The Studierendenwerk Darmstadt provides assistance in searching for a job with the help of the comeTOgether Tutors. We recommend you to visit their website for more information.
The Career Center of the University of Darmstadt offers a job portal that will help you to find different opportunities for students, as well as guidance through the process.
You can also receive an assessment on How To Apply in German and in English, and a check-up of your CV and Cover Letter. Click here for more information about the Career Center and start your search.

Students from non-EU countries are allowed to remain in Germany to seek a job for a maximum of 18 months after graduating. These 18 months pass quicker than you think, so we advise you to start job hunting during the final semester of your Master's degree, or at the latest four months before finishing your studies. While looking for full-time permanent employment after you finished your studies, you are allowed to work as much as you like.
You should start planning your career in Germany while still studying for your Master's degree. It is often helpful to have Job Experience from a part-time student job when searching for full-time employment. With a degree from a German university, especially when complemented by job experience, numerous job opportunities are available to you as an international graduate on the German job market as well as internationally.
The German Federal Government runs the website “make it in Germany”, which we highly recommend checking for further information on job seeking and career opportunities in Germany.

If you want to explore the area around Darmstadt, there are countless possibilities no matter what kind of leisure activity you prefer to do; cultural, historic, culinary or sporty there’s something new to explore for everyone.
Due to its favourable location in the Rhine valley and its close proximity to different mountain ranges like the Odenwald, Taunus and Spessart there are a wide range of ways to spend your free time, no matter if you prefer metropolitan cities, small idyllic villages with half-timbered houses, castles, parks, riversides or mountains. Aside from that, there is also plenty of typical German food, beer and wine to discover. This variety of options concentrated within such a short distance is unique in Germany!
In the next sections, you can find some of the interesting cities worth a visit around Darmstadt, as well as some areas to go to, when wanting to enjoy nature.
In addition to the these areas, places and sights there is a lot more to see in the Rhine-Main region but this document should give you a good overview of the area and the variety of what the region has to offer! For more information and further inspiration please check: https://www.frankfurt-rhein-main.de/en

Frankfurt, which is only about 20 minutes north of Darmstadt, is the financial capital of Germany and home to the European Central Bank (ECB) as well as the biggest airport in Germany and among the biggest ones in Europe.
Frankfurt has a rich cultural offering featuring the opera House (“Alte Oper” – Old Opera), where many well-known operas were performed for the first time. The city is also the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
It also has a high density of art galleries (around 40) as well as plenty of remarkable museums such as the natural history museum “Senckenberg-Museum”, which is the second-largest of its type in Germany and has the biggest exhibition of large dinosaur fossils in Europe.
Frankfurt's reconstructed old town is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. Located directly next to the historical museum as well as the river Main, you can experience the old town in many ways.

Wiesbaden, which is the capital of the federal state of Hesse, is located in the heart of the Rheingau wine region and is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. A great visit for a day trip to Wiesbaden is the Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme, a historical Art Nouveau spa.
Wiesbaden is known for its beautiful buildungs like the ‘Kurhaus’, which does not only host a concert hall, but a convention centre and a casino as well. In addition, Wiesbaden offers opportunities for luxury shopping and a variety of cultural activities.

Located south of Wiesbaden on the other side of the Rhine river, which marks the border between the federal state of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, lies Mainz.
Founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC, Mainz has a remarkable cultural and historic heritage. The catholic cathedral and the Gutenberg Museum, exhibiting the original Gutenberg Bible (the first book printed with a movable-type printing press, which was invented by Johannes Gutenberg) only to name a few.
Not only is Mainz the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate but also Germany’s wine capital and gateway to the region’s vineyards. Popular destinations to explore German wine culture are Bingen and Rüdesheim a bit further down the Rhine from Mainz. The Rheingau is famous for its riverscapes, vineyards producing the renowned Riesling and historic castles along the River.

Heidelberg is located south of the Hessian Ried in the federal State of Baden Württemberg and is popular among tourists from all over the world. It is a university town situated on the river Neckar featuring Germany’s oldest university founded in 1386 as well as internationally renowned research facilities. It was also designated a ‘City of literature’ by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
One of Heidelberg’s most iconic landmarks is the Heidelberg Castle, which dominates the view of the old town. The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 1200s and the castle was expanded up until 1650. Much of it was destroyed during wars and fires in the 17th and 18th century and it has only been partially rebuilt. Yet, the castle is considered as one of the most important renaissance buildings north of the alps.
Additionally, the baroque old town with many typical German restaurants and the scenic setting providing beautiful views whilst strolling along the ‘Philosopher’s Walk’ (Philosophenweg) make Heidelberg a tourist attraction. 

The town of Hanau is located north-west of Darmstadt. It is the birthplace of the Brothers Grimm, world-famous for collecting and publishing folklore and fairy-tales such as “Cinderella”,” Snow White” or “Beauty and the Beast” during the 19th century.
To celebrate this heritage, the Philippsruhe Palace with its park and amphitheatre acts as a backdrop for the annual Brothers Grimm Fairy-tale Festival. Aside from the Philippsruhe Palace, the former spa Wilhelmsbad with the respective Park are worth a visit as well as it is home to the puppet and toy museum of the state of Hesse (Hessisches Puppenmuseum). It displays puppets and toys from around the world and throughout the periods of the ancient to the modern world.

The Bergstraße (Mountain Road) is an ancient trade route dating back to the Romans and running from Wiesloch in Baden-Württemberg 80km north all the way to Darmstadt. The Bergstraße also marks the border between the Rhine lowlands in the west and the Odenwald mountain range in the East. Many of the towns and villages along the Bergstraße feature picturesque medieval half-timbered structures.
Furthermore, there is a chain of castles along the hilltops east of the Bergstraße, the northernmost of them being castle Frankenstein near Darmstadt, which is thought to be the inspiration for Mary Shelley’s world-famous novel. However, one of the most remarkable buildings, which has been designated as world cultural heritage sight by UNESCO, is the Carolingian era Lorsch Abbey, dating back to the 9th century.

Further south along the Rhine you can explore the Hessian Ried, a lowland region between the Rhine in the west and the Bergstraße (mountain road) in the east. It is home to the nature reserve “Kühkopf-Knoblochsaue" with around 2500 hectare. The Kühkopf is an island that was formed by a cut-off branch of the river during the time when the Rhine was straightened and is now enclosed by the rhine and the old river bend.
This hessian ried is a nice place to go for a bike ride along the river rhine or through the nature reserve “Kühkopf-Knoblochsaue". From Darmstadt, you can get there within 30 minutes by bike. The region is also popular to go jet skiing on the rhine, canoing or stand-up paddling on the old river bend, or hiking through the nature reserve.

The Odenwald is a low mountain range covering 2.500 square kilometres and located south-east of Darmstadt. Most of it belongs to the State of Hesse but it is also stretching into Baden-Württemberg in the south and Bavaria in the east. If you want to have a break from the fast paced life in the city or from studying, this region has a lot to offer.
Due to its distribution of forests, mountains, fields and meadows and a network of 10.000km of hiking trails, the Odenwald is very popular among hikers, cyclists and climbers. There are many different destinations for day trips that are worth visiting.
One of the more popular ones is the Felsenmeer (sea of boulders) below the top of Felsberg near Lautertal-Reichenbach, consisting of countless weathered rocks strewn across the hill like a stream. The Romans used this area as a quarry and on a lot of the rocks you can still see tool marks from Roman times. One of the most outstanding items the Romans have left is a giant column. In close proximity to the Felsenmeer, there are two popular cliffs for climbing: Hohenstein and Borstein.
Next to the beautiful nature of the Odenwald there are numerous pretty towns and villages featuring half-timbered buildings such as the famous late gothic town hall of Michelstadt. In addition to the castles along the Bergstraße, there are many more castles and ruins to be explored in the Odenwald.

The Rheingau is one of Germanys most romantic landscapes and famous for its world-class wines. Stretching along the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Oberes Mittelrheintal) with its steep terraced vineyards on either side of the river peppered with historic villages and some 40 hilltop fortresses and castles, the region is a wonderful place for a boat or hiking trip - and of course a wine tasting.
Places you shouldn't miss are Eltville, Rüdesheim and the Eberbach Abbey (Kloster Eberbach). The region also hosts famous cultural highlights, such as the Rheingau music festival, the annual event "Rhine in Flames" or the Rheingau wine tasting in the end of each summer.

Similar to the Odenwald, the Spessart has a lot to offer for hikers, cyclists and sightseers alike just with added Bavarian charm. One of the outstanding sights for example is Mespelbrunn Castle, a picturesque late medieval/early renaissance moated castle dating back to 1412 and landmark for the Spessart region.
Further north along the Main at the western edge of the Spessart lies Aschaffenburg, an idyllic historical town known for the Johannisburg castle, one of the major buildings of German Renaissance built in the time of 1605-1614. Apart from that, Schönbusch Park with the Schönbusch castle is worth a visit as well as the Pompejanum – a replica of a Roman town house discovered in Pompeii, commissioned by King Ludwig I and opened in 1850.
Miltenberg is the gateway between the Odenwald and the Spessart mountain range. Its beautiful old town is located on one of the Main’s river banks and features many half-timbered houses dating back to the 15th to 18th centuries as well as the oldest hotel in Germany (“Zum Riesen” – The Giant), which is also one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world dating back to at least 1411. The list of guests that have stayed at ‘Zum Riesen’ includes numerous famous personalities, ranging from several Holy Roman Emperors, Napoléon Bonaparte and Elvis Presley.
Additionally, Miltenberg is home of the Faust Brewery, the oldest Brewery in the Rhine-Main Region and one way to have an authentic Bavarian experience.

North of Darmstadt lies the Taunus mountain range, which features the highest mountain in the state of Hesse, Großer Feldberg, at around 880m. The area not only attracts cyclists, hikers and runners alike but also features a rich historic heritage.
The Saalburg, northwest of Bad Homburg, is a roman fort along the UNESCO Word Heritage site ‘Limes Germanicus’, the former external frontier of the roman empire. Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered a complete reconstruction of the fort in 1897 which is the only completely reconstructed roman fort in Germany.