Darmstadt

[beaker]

Could be spending a bit of time there with this new contract... the only thing I know so far is that Ecstacy was first synthesised there. Apart from taking recreational drugs, anyone got tips for anything to do there, cool places to hang out, must see/do stuff etc?

Don't we have an esteemed poster on this board in fact called Darmstadt?

Cheers!

[AtW]

Don't we have an esteemed poster on this board in fact called Darmstadt?

No, but there is chap on here with nickname darmstadt.

Also I think you should be asking questions in this thread instead.

[darmstadt]

Could be spending a bit of time there with this new contract... the only thing I know so far is that Ecstacy was first synthesised there. Apart from taking recreational drugs, anyone got tips for anything to do there, cool places to hang out, must see/do stuff etc?

Don't we have an esteemed poster on this board in fact called Darmstadt?

Cheers!

Actually it was originally MDMA a long time ago by Merck, still very active in the town, and they also had a big hand in cocaine.

It depends what you want from the town, night-life, culture, relaxation, etc. Its a reasonably small, quiet and middle class town but does have its attractions. Industry wise, apart from Merck, you also have ESOC (European Space Operations Center,) EUMETSAT ( European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites,) T-Systems (who have a huge IT campus here which also means that we get the fastest broadband first,) Software AG come and are based here along with a lot of other hi-tec and IT companies so there is quite a bit of wealth here, you can look at the EU NUTS statistics where Darmstadt comes in at about the 7th most prosperous place to live in the EU.

There's also a technical university here with about 40,000 students so there's quite a few young people which means there's a lot of pubs/clubs and places to eat ranging from the cheap to quite expensive (for all the well to do middle class people who not only work here but also in Frankfurt which is only 20 minutes by train.) There are 5 breweries which all have pubs on the premises and if you're here in summer then there are all the beer gardens and cafes to visit. Also, petrol stations, McDonalds, Burger King, all fast food places sell beer.

There are a 3 cinema complexes which also show some films in English, a library with English books, all the bookshops sell English books and you can get the papers at the train station. Public transport, consisting of buses and trams, is very good, starting from the early morning and running very late, even later at weekends and all night when there is an event on (Heinerfest or New Year.) As the town (actually its a city) is not that big you can walk to most places and due to zoning laws over 60% of the town has to be greenbelt.

When I moved here there was a large expat Brit community (+1000) but that has gradually dwindled down but I believe that there is still a large group of young Brits but I have bugger all to do with them but it can help in getting acclimatised to meet some of them (so I've heard.) Some of the pubs where English speaking is heard are:

Crossroads - I do know the owner (Englishman) but drink across the road in the dodgy boozers
Ireland Pub - don't know if any Brits go there but I don't particularly like the landlady. Tend to drink next door: Parliament of Rock (owned by a half-Englishman)
An Sibin - used to be the place and used to be full of septic serviceman until they all got recalled. Very big
Green Sheep
Riwwelmaddes - an older crowd but excellent Indian food

For very typical German stuff try:

Ratskeller - a brewery which used to be the town hall. Situated in the market place (which has a number of other cafes and food places round it) straight across the the castle (also has a couple of boozers in it along with a bed made for Napoleon and Shakespeare's death mask)
Grohe - a brewery
Bockshaut- a hotel and restuarant

There are of course a lot of other places, including those open 23 hours a day (closed for 1 hour for cleaning.)

For culture, well the Landesmuseum is currently closed but is normally home to a lot of stuff by Josef Beuys and there are a couple of other museums (the Wella one for hair and hair products) but the interesting area is the Mathildenhohe which is basically where the Jugendstil movement started. It consists of the artists colony which are houses designed and lived in by the original artists. they surround a small area which consists of a museum and the Russian Chapel and Hochzeitsturm:



There are many other things to see but also remember, you're near a lot of other places such as Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Mainz, etc. but France is only a couple of hours, Switzerland 4 hours, Luxembourg is just a couple and so on.

Have a look at the Wikipedia site, Startseite  - Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt, Tourismus and Darmstadt travel guide - Wikitravel (or ask/PM for more.)

Enjoy....

[beaker]

Wow, thanks mate! Will try and check out some of these places.

Cheers!

[BlasterBates]

Up to you, nice town but I would focus on Frankfurt which is on the S Bahn. More to do there; for example regular Rockabilly gigs

You could always stay somewhere in the south of Frankfurt and commute into Darmstadt, but it isn't far from Darmstadt to get into Frankfurt for an evening. If you're going to be there long term I would then definitely recommend being in Frankfurt, if a temporary contract just a few months probably best stay in Darmstadt and make the odd trip to Frankfurt.

Pop along the Frankfurt International ski club which meet in Waxy's Irish pub on Wednesday evening. You can make some contacts there. They organise a ski trip every weekend until the end of March.

[darmstadt]

Up to you, nice town but I would focus on Frankfurt which is on the S Bahn. More to do there; for example regular Rockabilly gigs

You could always stay somewhere in the south of Frankfurt and commute into Darmstadt, but it isn't far from Darmstadt to get into Frankfurt for an evening. If you're going to be there long term I would then definitely recommend being in Frankfurt, if a temporary contract just a few months probably best stay in Darmstadt and make the odd trip to Frankfurt.

Darmstadt is also on the S-Bahn, S3 and S4, also regular trains as well. The trouble with living south of Frankfurt and commuting into Darmstadt is the time. You'll have to get trams, buses, etc. just to get to a main changing point to get to DA. Frankfurt is a pretty good city depending on where you live, the centre, after working hours, is dead which means living a lit bit out like Bockenheim. South of Frankfurt gives you Sachsenhausen which has the pubby bit, the expensive bit and the dodgy bit. Or live in a different town such as Neu-Isenburg or Langen which is even worse...

There's also quite a bit of Rockabilly (and offshoots) in DA, you just have to know where to go and when...

[Ignis Fatuus]

also a restaurant called "Eichbaun Tresen", best schnitzel I've had in Germany. Portions are large even by German standards.

YMMV but I had already spent some time in Frankfurt so I was happy to stay in Darmstadt. Mid-sized Uni towns with some local money too are exactly what I like. But if you don't know Frankfurt you might prefer indeed to stay there. I wouldn't stay in between, worst of both worlds IMHO.

[BlasterBates]

Darmstadt is also on the S-Bahn, S3 and S4, also regular trains as well. The trouble with living south of Frankfurt and commuting into Darmstadt is the time. You'll have to get trams, buses, etc. just to get to a main changing point to get to DA. Frankfurt is a pretty good city depending on where you live, the centre, after working hours, is dead which means living a lit bit out like Bockenheim. South of Frankfurt gives you Sachsenhausen which has the pubby bit, the expensive bit and the dodgy bit. Or live in a different town such as Neu-Isenburg or Langen which is even worse...

There's also quite a bit of Rockabilly (and offshoots) in DA, you just have to know where to go and when...

Actually it's true Frankfurt used to be dead in the centre but that all changed now the shops are open until 21:00. and the disco's open up just after so it's now got a very lively centre. Though Frankfurt has sort of towns within the city where you normally go especially Bornheim and Sachsenhausen which are both right next to the centre. In the Centre there is the "Fressgasse" Alte Oper and Römer platz where you can go.

[darmstadt]

also a restaurant called "Eichbaun Tresen", best schnitzel I've had in Germany. Portions are large even by German standards.

Live near it (its in the suburb called Bessungen) and would agree except its changed owners (and name) so its not quite as good as a few years ago but still pretty good. I tend to go there in the summer and eat outside and the staff know the portions are rather large so they keep a roll of tinfoil handy so you can have a 'doggy bag.'