Mannheim - Buses and Buses - Transportation - Attractions and Monuments

Mannheim is a city in western Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg at the mouth of the Neckar River on the Rhine. It has a population of 312,000 and is an important scientific and cultural center. It has a preserved historic urban layout from the first half of the 18th century. At that time, the city was laid out on a chessboard plan consisting of 144 fields. This can be observed especially when walking through the old town, where the streets do not have names, but are instead marked with a letter and a number according to their location on the town plan (e.g. B3, D5). Because of this layout, Mannheim used to be referred to as a "square city." Such a method of planning was popular during the Baroque era, but few similar cities have survived to this day. Mannheim is unique in Europe.

Mannheim traces its history back to 764, but was not granted a city charter until 1607. Since 1720 it had been the residence of the Electors of the Palatinate, the historic region west of the Rhine. It was in Mannheim in 1879 that Karl Benz built his first two-stroke automobile engine. At the beginning of World War II, the first prisoner-of-war camps were set up in the city. Over time, labor camps were also built for forced laborers from all over Europe to work for the wartime German economy. Mannheim was repeatedly bombed by the Allies during the war. In late March 1945 it was liberated by U.S. Army troops.

Mannheim - attractions of the square city

Mannheim boasts beautiful baroque buildings in the form of squares. What else can be seen there?

Mannheim Palace

This largest Baroque building in Germany was built between 1720 and 1760 as the seat of the Electors of the Palatinate. Before that, the palace took the form of a fortress. The building consists of more than 500 richly decorated rooms, and is surrounded by 6 hectares of fenced grounds. After a restoration in 2007, its central part houses a museum, while other parts are used by the University of Mannheim.

Art Museum

The museum collects works of art dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, mainly paintings, sculptures and drawings. It houses the world's largest collection of modernist art.

Museum of Technology - Technoseum

This place introduces visitors to the more than 200-year history of the development of technology in the region. Among other things, you can watch the assembly plants of old Porsche cars.

Water Tower

This tower was built in 1889 and remained in use until 2000, providing water to the entire city. It is 60 meters high and 19 meters in diameter. On its roof is a statue of Poseidon's wife, Amphitrite. Today it is a symbol of the city and a well-known landmark.

Fernmeldeturm television tower

This towering concrete tower overlooking the city is more than 217 meters high. A revolving restaurant and an observation deck with a beautiful panorama of Mannheim are located on the 120th meter.

Luisenpark

Luisenpark was established by order of Kaiser Wilhelm I as a gift to his daughter Luisa von Baden at the turn of the 20th century. More than 140 species of trees, 85 species of shrubs and more than 350 varieties of flowers and other green plants grow there. The park's area is 41 hectares, which can be compared to as many as 50 soccer fields. In Luisenpark there is a sizable lake, on which you can sail boats, an amphitheater, a palm house, a Chinese garden with a tea house, as well as a butterflyarium, animal enclosures or several attractions dedicated to children.