www.hessen-tourism.com Preserving our cultural wealth. CULTURE MAP OF HESSE … a cultural discovery tour EUROPEAN UNION Investing in Your Future European Regional Development Fund RZ_Titel_Kulturkarte_engl.indd 1 03.12.2009 12:07:12 Uhr Dear Guest, ... take our suggestions for your cultural adventure through the state of Hesse. Experience the variety and contrast of the enchanting state of Hesse. Hesse´s cultural offer is also distinguished by contrast and variety. 350 castles, over 300 museums, impressive abbeys, attractive parks and gar- dens, picturesque half-timbered towns and fi ve UNESCO-world heritage sites – discover Hesse’s rich past and present. The vibrant theater scene from the Opera House that has already recei- ved multiple awards to modern theater to experimental free theater is compelling. Artists and institutions in music, literature, dance, fi lm and the new media, fi ne arts as well as high-quality exhibitions and festivals also invite you to come to Hesse- the range of subjects is rich and enti- cing, nurtures the mind and senses. This cultural map can provide you with a little cross section of the extensive range of cultural activities in the state of Hesse. For further information please go to the specifi ed Internet addresses. Experience culture in Hesse – We look forward to meeting you! Tip: For information on environmentally-friendly travel to Hesse go to www.bahn.de/ hessen History, Architecture, Townscape Hersfeld and Lorsch must be added to this spectrum. Numerous locations such as the State Archives in Marburg, Darmstadt and Wiesbaden provide information on the shifting political fortunes of the state. It is especially in Hesse that history can be experienced up-close. Powerful sponsors, including Hessian dukes and electoral princes helped the historical cities achieve wealth and artistic de- velopment through trading privileges. For this reason, particularly in Hesse there is a unique variety of half-tim- bered styles of architecture, as shown Experience history by the many “half-timbered architec- ture trails” in addition to the open-air up-close “Hessenpark“. Hesse has a rich history, but it is marked But modern architecture also has a by a strong territorial fragmentation. unique location especially in the busi- On the historical map you will also fi nd ness metropolis of Frankfurt. Such a areas belonging to the electorates of skyline can be found nowhere else Mainz and Trier in addition to the ter- in Germany. Traditional and modern ritories of Hesse and Nassau. Imperial architecture blend with each other cities such as Frankfurt am Main and to produce a unique cityscape. Wetzlar but also abbeys such as Fulda, For more information go to www.hessen-tourism.com UNESCO-World Heritage Sites A Testimony to the History of Humankind and to Nature In the state of Hesse, the Messel pit (as a natural heritage site), the Carolingian abbey of Lorsch with its famous gate house, the Upper Germanic – Raetian- limes and the Upper Middle Rhine Val- ley from Bingen to Koblenz (as a cultu- ral landscape) have been put on the list of world heritage sites. 3 Upper Middle Rhine Valley 1 Lorsch Abbey The impressive region between Lorsch Abbey with its famous “King’s Rüdesheim / Bingen and Koblenz is the Hall” that is some 1,200 years old has cultural landscape of the Upper Middle been a UNESCO-world heritage site Rhine Valley. In 2002 it was classifi ed by since 1991. Today, it is a vestige of the UNESCO in the ranks of cultural sites great architecture of the once impor- of international status. tant religious and cultural hub of the Culture, nature, history and myth in- Carolingian Empire. Founded in 760 teract with each other here, producing and endowed with privileges by Char- a fascination felt by travelers from all lemagne, Lorsch evolved rapidly into over the world. This unique symbiosis one of the most powerful abbeys in the of 2,000 years of human work against Middle Ages, with a powerful the backdrop of a natural landscape abbey and wealthy lands. that is millions of years old covers a It was dissolved in 1557 distance of 65 kilometers. during the Reforma- tion. 4 Saalburg Roman Fort Only the King’s Hall, Archeological Park / Limes a vestige of a Ro- The Saalburg is the only largely manesque church, reconstructed Roman fort on the the tithe barn and limes, also part of the UNESCO curtain wall as well World Heritage since 2005. The as the archeological visitor can get a taste of life in fi ndings are a witness the Roman Era as it was nearly to this former greatness. 1,800 years ago. The fort is one of the most important museums for 2 Messel pit the era and offers a varied events The fossil discovery site, the Messel pit program. The “Kaiser“, William II, near Darmstadt, is the fi rst UNESCO- had the Saalburg reconstructed on World Natural Heritage Site in Germa- the basis of archeological fi ndings – it ny. The living world as it was 47 million shows the condition it was in around years ago has been preserved in an 200 A.D. extinct volcanic lake. Almost the entire spectrum of plant and animal life from 5 Kassel I Storybook Treasures this time has been preserved in the oil One of the greatest treasures of Hesse shale of the pit. The most famous of are the fi rst editions of the “Kinder- the numerous fossils is the Messel pre- und Hausmärchen”, fairy-tale books historic horse. Findings from the Mes- by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm sel pit are on exhibition at the Senck- Grimm, published in 1812 and 1815. enberg Museum, Frankfurt am Main, at Grimms’ Fairy Tales have been one the Hesse State Museum in Darmstadt of the most famous books for over and at the Fossil and Local History 200 years. They have been part of the Museum in Messel. A visitor and infor- core collection at the Museum in Kas- mation center is scheduled to open in sel since 1959 and became part of the the summer of UNESCO world documentary heritage 2010. in 2005. The Kassel “Kinder- und Haus- märchen” are part of 193 documentary materials making up the “Memory of the world”. i Information www.unesco-welterbe.de www.kulturportal-hessen.de www.hessen-tourism.com Castles, Parks and Gardens Once built for princes – now open to the public The present state of Hesse was once made up of numerous principalities, landgraviates and earldoms. Many 3 Bensheim-Auerbach | palaces, castles, abbeys, parks and Fürstenlager State Park gardens which were once the seat of The landgraves and granddukes of diverse royal dynasties are now the Hesse-Darmstadt had the “Fürsten- property of the state of Hesse. The lager” built as a summer residence in Public Castles and Gardens Adminis- Auerbach around 1790. The simple, tration as well as many municipalities village-like construction is located in and societies are active in the preser- an idyllic side valley at the foothills of vation of the historical cultural assets the Odenwald on the Bergstraße. The and thus, today they are often places buildings surrounding the manor house where culture is experienced actively, such as guest quarters and stables, as they have become an attractive princes’ and ladies’ buildings, guard venue for numerous music or theater and carriage buildings have been pre- festivals. served almost in their original state. They are located at the heart of a park of 42 acres where exotic plants and 1 Bad Hersfeld | Monastery ruins trees are waiting to be discovered. Almost 1,300 years of Christian history are refl ected in the monastery ruins, 4 Darmstadt | from the beginning of the missionary Kranichstein Hunting Castle work in 736 until today. Four churches The castle located in the district of were successively built on Darmstadt with the same name was the same site. Con- originally built as a three-winged struction of the last Renaissance building for Landgrave church began in George I of Hesse-Darmstadt as from 1038. The church 1578. It is one of the few Baroque hunt- ruins are one of ing courts in Germany that has been the largest Ro- preserved. The building was used by manesque ba- the Landgrave and later Granddukes silicas north of of Hesse-Darmstadt for hunting for the Alps and over 350 years. Today it is a Hunting are the larg- Museum. est Roman- esque church 5 Gelnhausen | ruins in the Imperial Palatinate world. The Bad The Stauffer Emperor Frederick I, “Bar- Hersfeld Open-air barossa”, founded the imperial city of Theater Festival has Gelnhausen in 1170 and erected his been held yearly there Palatinate empire in 1182 before the since 1951. gates of his town – on an island in the Kinzig. Today, the entrance hall opens 2 Bad Homburg | up to the visitor with two wide arch- Landgrave’s Castle and park es and leads to the inner court which The former residence of the Landgrave leads to the three-storey palace. An of Hesse-Homburg was built on the imposing gate tower is located above location where a Medieval castle had the gate hall, defi ant and defensive been. A hallmark is the free-stand- rusticated masonry and open arcades ing keep from the 14th century, the of the highest degree of refi nement “White Tower”, rising over the Baroque and architectural artistic skill alternate grounds made up of two courtyards. with each other: an impressive exam- Today, art treasures from the 17th-19th ple of a Romanesque water castle. The centuries are on exhibition in the cas- ruins made of red sandstone are one tle showrooms.