Holiday in Mannheim

What makes Mannheim special as a destination?

Mannheim is the square city — the only German city whose downtown is organized not by street names, but by a coordinate system of letters and numbers. Instead of 'Hauptstraße 12', it is 'L 15, 1' here. This grid system dates back to the city's founding as a fortress in the 17th century and is initially confusing, but surprisingly practical. The Mannheim Baroque Palace is the second largest Baroque palace in Europe after Versailles, with a facade length of about 440 meters. It now houses the University of Mannheim and is partially accessible as a museum. The palace church and the state rooms showcase the former splendor of the Electors of the Palatinate. The Technoseum (formerly the State Museum for Technology and Work) is one of the major technology museums in Germany: on 9,000 m², industrial history, natural sciences, and technology are interactively experienced — from the steam engine to robotics. Ideal for families with children. Mannheim is a city of inventions: Karl Drais invented the draisine (precursor of the bicycle) here in 1817, Carl Benz built the world's first automobile in 1886, and Werner von Siemens presented the first electric elevator. The Benz Patent Motorwagen Route traces this history. Luisenpark, one of the most beautiful city parks in Germany, offers a Chinese garden, gondolettas on the lake, a butterfly house, and in summer, open-air concerts on the lakeside stage across its 42 hectares. The Planken, Mannheim's pedestrian zone, and the Jungbusch district as a creative scene quarter complete the cityscape.