natural wonder
Messel Pit
A UNESCO fossil quarry near Darmstadt that yields exquisitely preserved 47-million-year-old Eocene plants and animals.
9 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeGermanyHesse
Darmstadt
Hesse, Germany · Europe
About Darmstadt
Darmstadt is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Kranichstein, 9km from Messel Pit.
Darmstadt is in Hesse, Germany, with about 170,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Kranichstein, about 4 km away.
Darmstadt ( DARM-stat, UK also -shtat, US also -s(h)taht, German: [ˈdaʁmʃtat] ) is a city in the state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in the state of Hesse afterRead more
Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, and Kassel.
Darmstadt holds the official title "City of Science" (German: Wissenschaftsstadt) as it is a major centre of scientific institutions, universities, and high-technology companies. The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the European Space Agency's European Space Operations Centre (ESA ESOC) are located in Darmstadt, as well as GSI Centre for Heavy Ion Research, where several chemical elements such as darmstadtium, roentgenium, and copernicium were discovered. The existence of several elements was also confirmed at the GSI Centre. The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) is an international accelerator facility under construction. Darmstadt is also the seat of the world's oldest pharmaceutical company, Merck, which is the city's largest employer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Darmstadt?
Within an hour or so of Darmstadt: Messel Pit (9 km), Römer Frankfurt (27 km), Neroberg (39 km), Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz (44 km).
Are there any good drives near Darmstadt?
The nearest famous roads are Deutsche Weinstraße, Schottenring and Mosel Valley Wine Route.
Where is Darmstadt?
Darmstadt is in Hesse, Germany, about 4 km from Kranichstein.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 167,029
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Region
- Hesse
- Timezone
- Europe/Berlin
- Coordinates
- 49.8717, 8.6503
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Darmstadt
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Römer Frankfurt
Frankfurt's medieval town hall and its gabled Römerberg square form a postcard-perfect old-town heart amid the skyscrapers.
27 km · about 30 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Neroberg
A wooded hill above Wiesbaden reached by a water-powered funicular, crowned by a gold-domed Russian Orthodox church.
39 km · about 45 min drive
museum
Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz
Intimate museum in Carl Benz's last factory in Ladenburg, displaying pioneering Benz vehicles in the very halls where the inventor of the automobile worked until 1929.
44 km · about 50 min drive
ancient ruins
Saalburg Roman Fort
A fully reconstructed Roman fort on the Limes frontier in the Taunus hills brings legionary life vividly back to view.
45 km · about 50 min drive
castle
Heidelberg Castle
A partly ruined Renaissance castle overlooking the city of Heidelberg, one of Germany's most important Renaissance structures.
51 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
Rüdesheim Drosselgasse
A narrow cobbled lane of wine taverns and music in the Rheingau, the lively heart of Rhine Valley wine country.
53 km · about 60 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Niederwalddenkmal
A colossal Germania statue above Rüdesheim surveys the Rhine vineyards, reached by a cable car over the steep slopes.
55 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Darmstadt
- 39 kmNerobergA wooded hill above Wiesbaden reached by a water-powered funicular, crowned by a gold-domed Russian Orthodox church.
- 55 kmNiederwalddenkmalA colossal Germania statue above Rüdesheim surveys the Rhine vineyards, reached by a cable car over the steep slopes.
- 70 kmDeutsche WeinstraßeGermany's oldest wine route winds 85 km past vineyards, almond blossoms and half-timbered villages through the Palatinate.
- 74 kmUpper Middle Rhine ValleyA UNESCO-listed 65-km stretch of the Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen, lined with over 40 castles, vineyards, and historic towns.
- 77 kmSchottenringA German road circuit in the Vogelsberg hills that hosted motorcycle Grands Prix in the 1950s, notorious for its narrow, tree-lined public roads. Still used for historic events and drivable in between.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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