Things to do in

Mannheim

Discover urban artwork from national and international street artists that have transformed Mannheim’s grey façades into large-scale murals. Meet your guide and learn about the works on display as you stroll through an open-air urban art gallery, “Stadt.Wand.Kunst”. Choose between a walking tour of the Quadrate or Neckarstadt areas of the city, with private and shared tour options available in several languages. See a variety of innovative creative concepts as you stroll through Mannheim’s city center. Choose to discover the areas of Quadrate where you can see work by HERAKUT, LOW BROS, and Sourati, among others. Or, explore the Neckarstadt district which features work by PEETA, Ruben Sanchez, SatOne, and 1010.

You will meet your guide, the night watchman, in front of the baroque Palace church. Together you will explore the area around Mannheim's baroque palace. Against the backdrop of historic buildings such as the old observatory or the armoury, join the night watchman for a chat about Mannheim’s development into a residence for the Palatinate Electors and the culture, society and religion that developed there throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Listen as he reveals anecdotes about life at court, the changes to the city from one era to the next, and the not always honest goings on that he witnesses as he makes his rounds through Mannheim’s night-time streets. During the tour you will pass by several historical buildings and places such as the baroque palace church, the old observatory, the Jesuite church and Schillerplatz.

This extensive driving tour of Mannheim provides a great overview of the city and helps you discover its many hidden gems. Starting at the coach park at Toulonplatz in the city centre, first stop is the former residence of the Elector, Europe’s second largest baroque palace. You will also see the historic water tower, located in the centre of the Art Nouveau square of Friedrichsplatz. The route then crosses to the other side of the River Neckar and takes an excursion to the East. After this, we will drive back towards the city center, taking in the splendid mansions from the time of the city’s founding in the Oststadt district and the boulevard-style Augustaanlage. The tour crosses into the attractive Neckarstadt district and circles one of the largest district squares in the city, the Alter Messplatz. You will pass the Yavuz-Sultan-Selim mosque, one of Germany’s largest mosques, travel through the trendy Jungbusch neighbourhood and get a glance of the busy port of neighboring Lufwigshafen. The tour ends where it started, opposite the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums.

Start the tour from Europe’s second-largest Baroque palace. Meet your expert guide who will provide more information about this stately former residence of the city the former residence of the Prince-electors of the House of Wittelsbach. Next, see the magnificent Jesuit Church located nearby in the city center. Stroll through the heart of the city and discover several charming squares, the assembled buildings of the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums, and the beloved “Planken” shopping street. Learn more about the monuments and memorials and uncover tales of Mannheim’s eventful history. Discover contemporary works of art at the atmospheric Art Nouveau square at Friedrichsplatz. Learn more about the varied gastronomic scene and the modern spirit of the city. Admire the view of Mannheim’s landmark historic water tower before finishing up your stroll through the city.

Join a special kind of tour of selected criminal cases and crime scenes from different centuries. See contemporary witnesses and participants describe the cases from their points of view. On this tour you will also have a closer look at the sights of Mannheim, and an opportunity to learn about the general history of the city.  What did the shy student with the dagger want when he visited the famous poet August von Kotzebue? What made a lawyer become an armed revolutionary? What made the profession of executioner so dangerous? These and other questions are asked and answered on your walk through the scenes of mysterious and unexplained criminal cases in Mannheim. You will feel both shudders and amazement, guaranteed. The commissary takes you and your guests on a forensic search for clues about terrible crimes. The charming daughter of the Mannheim hangman and Prussian grenadiers who are hot on your heels can be there to assist the investigation, at an additional charge. 

Join a unique tour presented by a woman cosplaying as German automotive pioneer and inventor, Bertha Benz. Gain insight into the world of Mannheim’s inventions and innovations from a woman dressed in a contemporary costume, taking you through history in her own special way. Learn all about cultural, technological and societal inventions that were conceived in her city. Slip back in time as you listen to these stories from the perspective of a woman living at the end of the 19th century. Bertha Benz brought global attention and marketing boost to her husband’s Benz Patent Motorcar with her long-distance drive from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back. Hear about her pioneering story and how it paved the way for automobiles. Numerous sights on the way from the Augustaanlage square to the “Kurpfälzer Meile der Innovationen” (Electoral Palatinate Innovation Mile) in front of the baroque palace provide the perfect backdrop to her stories.