Tourist Attractions in Mannheim
Thanks to its favorable situation on the right bank of the Rhine at its junction with the canalized Neckar, Mannheim, the former capital of the Electors of the Palatinate, has developed into an important commercial and industrial center, with one of the largest inland harbors in Europe.
The town was laid out in the 17th and 18th centuries on a regular grid of 136 rectangles (now 144), in which each block is designated by a letter and a number.
The town was laid out in the 17th and 18th centuries on a regular grid of 136 rectangles (now 144), in which each block is designated by a letter and a number.
Synagogue
A short distance away from the Marktplatz in Mannheim can be found the Jewish Center (Jüdisches Zentrum), with the Synagogue (built 1987).
Baroque Electoral Palace
The Baroque Electoral Palace (1720-60) in Mannheim, one of the largest in Germany, standing near the banks of the Rhine, is now occupied by the University (conducted tours of the historical apartments).
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | |
| Open | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 13:00 | 13:00 | |||||
| Open | 14:00 | 14:00 | |||||
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Guides
Guided tour included with admission.
Fine Arts Museum
To the south of the Water Tower in Mannheim stands the Kunsthalle (painting and sculpture of the 19th and 20th centuries).
Jesuit Church & Observatory
Northwest of the palace in Mannheim is the Jesuit Church, a fine Baroque building of 1733-60 (restored), and adjoining it the old Observatory (1772-74).
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Marketplace
In the Marktplatz in Mannheim are the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) and the Lower Parish Church (Untere Pfarrkirche; R.C.), a double building erected in 1701-23.
National Theater
North of Friedrichsplatz in Mannheim, on the Friedrichsring, is the National Theater (Grosses and Kleines Haus), built on this site in 1955-57. The original theater of 1779, in which Schiller's plays "Die Räuber", "Fiesco" and "Kabale und Liebe" were performed for the first time in 1782 and 1784, stood to the north of the Electoral Palace. It was destroyed during the Second World War.
Pedestrian Zone
The main shopping and business streets (mostly pedestrianized) in Mannheim's regularly laid out central area are the Planken and the Kurpfalzstrasse, which intersect in Paradeplatz.
Port
The Port of Mannheim consists of the Commercial Harbor (on the 3km/2mi long tongue of land between the Rhine and the Neckar), the Industrial Harbor (on the north side of the Neckar), the Rheinau Harbor (11km/7mi upstream in Rheinau) and the Old Rhine Harbor and Oil Harbor (on the Friesenheimer Insel). Altogether there are 20 harbor basins (docks). There are harbor cruises from the Kurpfalzbrücke.
Reiss Museum
In the old Arsenal in Mannheim, and since 1988 mainly in the new building to the north, can be found the Reiss Museum (archaeology and ethnography), named after two honorary citizens of Mannheim, Carl and Anna Reiss.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Restaurant or food service
Theater Museum
To the north of the Jesuit Church in Mannheim are the Theater Museum and the Arsenal (Zeughaus; 1777-78).
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 12:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Water Tower
The Planken and Heidelberger Strasse in Mannheim lead southeast to Friedrichsplatz (fountains), in which are the Water Tower (1888), Mannheim's emblem and landmark, and the Rosengarten Hall and Congress Center.
