Germany Guide
Hesse
The Herrngarten and around
The informal, English-style Herrngarten north of the Schloss, features a memorial to Goethe, who was a member of the literary circle known as the Darmstädter Kreis. In the northeast corner of the park is the Rococo Prinz-Georg-Garten (daily: March– Oct 7am–7pm; Nov– Feb 8am–5pm; free), whose formal design dates from 1764 and combines ornament with practicality: courgettes and chillies grow amid sundials, flowerbeds and neatly pruned fruit trees. Two eye-catching buildings fringe the garden. On the east side, the Prettlack'sches Gartenhaus dates from 1710 and has a prettily painted exterior. On the north side, the Baroque Prinz-Georg-Palais provides a light-flooded setting for the Grossherzoglich-Hessische Porzellansammlung (Mon– Thurs 10am–1pm & 2–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–1pm; €2.50). The grand ducal porcelain collection includes Ludwig I's Sèvres dinner service and some delightful Meissen, as well as items from the local Hoechst, Frankenthal and Kelsterbach works and some intriguing English pieces. The streets fringing the park have a sleepy charm, with half-timbered cottages and shuttered windows creating a village-like setting. To the north across Rhönring stands the extraordinary Waldspirale apartment complex, a typical work of the eccentric Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who died in 2000. Trees grow on roofs, onion domes and majolica catch the light and – a Hundertwasser trademark – there isn't a straight line in sight.