Residential Palace

DDarmstadt Palace is located at the centre of modern downtown Darmstadt, at the upper end of the Rheinstraße. This has not always been the case. Earlier, in the times of Georg I, the Palace secured Darmstadt's west flank. The Palace moat was used as a defence against intruders. The New Gate to the southwest was used mainly by the peasants from the surrounding countryside. The Residenzschloß combines structures from 6 centuries. The last structural changes were made under Landgrave Ernst Ludwig in the 18th century. His Master Construction Engineer Rémy de la Fosse planned a Baroque Palace. As it turned out, only two wings of the planned structure were completed, along the Rheinstraße and towards the Marktplatz. In 1944, the Palace burned down to the outer walls. Reconstruction efforts succeeded in restoring the facade structures to nearly pre-war status. The Palace Museum, founded in 1924, is located in the older part of the Palace. Its 22 rooms provide a good overview of 250 years of courtly life in a minor Residence as well as the history of the region, at first under the Landgraves and later as the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The museum is open Monday to Thursday from 10 to 1 and 2 to 5, Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 1, tel. +49 6151/24035. Guided tours only.