Darmstadt-Bessungen and the Orangerie: a neighbourhood guide to the area around the BSG Living studios
Darmstadt-Bessungen is the neighbourhood south of the city centre where an old village core, the Baroque Orangerie garden, cafés, a jazz archive and a Friday market sit within a few streets of each other. Bessungen was first mentioned in a document in 1002, and yet, according to the HEAG mobilo timetable, tram 3 gets you from the Orangerie stop to Luisenplatz in ten minutes.
Here the day starts with an espresso on the corner, continues with a stroll between fountains and tree-lined avenues, and ends with jazz in a vaulted cellar – all without a car. Our seven BSG Living studios are right by the Orangerie, each with a kitchenette, workspace and Wi-Fi. This neighbourhood guide shows you what makes Bessungen special: gardens, places to eat and drink, culture, festivals and the quickest way into the city centre.
What makes Darmstadt-Bessungen so relaxed?
Bessungen is considered the oldest part of Darmstadt's inner city. The village is first named in a document on 10 June 1002, and it remained an independent municipality until 1 April 1888. You can still feel that today: Ludwigshöhstraße and Niederstraße wind around the Bessunger Kirche (Bessungen Church), the village-like heart of the neighbourhood. The church has a bell from 1435, and its Art Nouveau baptismal font dates from the 1908/09 redesign based on plans by Friedrich Pützer.
A true Bessungen local is often called a "Lapping", derived from the French lapin for rabbit. According to legend, Landgrave Georg I had wild rabbits introduced around 1570; on the second attempt they multiplied so much that they became a plague. Today the Lapping is the neighbourhood's emblem.
Bessungen is relaxed because the essentials are close together: three parks, an indoor pool, cafés from the first coffee to a late glass of wine, and stages you can reach on foot. Stay a few days and you quickly notice that you hardly need to leave the neighbourhood – and that the city centre is still only a few tram stops away.
The Orangerie Darmstadt: a Baroque garden since 1716, right on your doorstep
The Orangerie garden (Orangeriegarten) is the green heart of Bessungen. In 1716, Landgrave Ernst Ludwig had a Baroque garden laid out here, and on 22 July 1719 the foundation stone of the Orangerie building followed. The plans were by Louis Remy de la Fosse, and the garden was designed by Johann Caspar Ehret from Heidelberg. A small palace was planned as winter quarters for citrus trees, but for lack of money only the west wing and a greenhouse were built. After a fire in 1774, Johann Martin Schuknecht rebuilt the building in 1782.
The garden has been open to the public since 1802; in June 1870 it hosted the first German rose show, and in 1905 Joseph Maria Olbrich presented his "colour gardens" at the Orangerie. The symmetrical grounds are arranged on three levels, with broad axes, fountains and tree-lined avenues. In summer, citrus plants in tubs line the paths, giving Bessungen an almost Mediterranean feel. Early in the morning runners do their laps here, and in the evening couples look for a bench in the evening light. With provisions from the Friday market and a bench under the avenues, a stroll turns into a little picnic in the Baroque garden.
Today the Orangerie building is a community centre and event venue, and the adjoining former greenhouse houses a restaurant. The Orangerie is also one of the venues of the Darmstädter Residenzfestspiele festival, which ran from 31 July to 9 August in 2026; the dates for 2027 have not yet been published. Bessungen also usually celebrates its Kerb in the Orangerie garden (more on that below). For upcoming events in the Orangerie building, see the organisers' programmes – please check before visiting.
Café, lunch, dinner: where to eat and drink in Bessungen
The best way to start the day in Bessungen is with coffee. At buna – fine coffee on Heidelberger Straße you get specialty coffee, decaf too, plus home-baked pastéis de nata and kanelbullar. European Coffee Trip lists the café in its Darmstadt guide. Card payment only, closed on Sundays (as of Oct. 2026). For beans to take home, head to aniko Coffee Roasters on Bessunger Straße, a roastery with a shop and a coffee school for workshops and tastings. More addresses for coffee lovers are in our guide Specialty coffee in Darmstadt.
If you prefer a long breakfast, go to Café LINIE 3 on Ludwigshöhstraße, named after the tram that runs through Bessungen. Breakfast is served until late, along with small hot dishes, cakes and apple wine (Apfelwein) from the Odenwald. It is open daily from 8:00, from 9:00 on Sundays and public holidays, until midnight (as of Oct. 2026). Café Godot on Freiberger Platz has been around since February 1983: a Bessungen classic with its own baked goods, a changing lunch menu from 11:30 to 14:00 and wine, beer or cocktails in the evening (as of Oct. 2026).
At lunchtime, plantyful on Niederstraße is worth a visit – a fully vegan takeaway with soups, bowls and raw cakes. It is only open Tuesday to Thursday from 12:00 to 14:00 (as of Oct. 2026). Then take your box back to the desk by the window in Studio 3, Wi-Fi included. For dinner, stroll over to the Bessunger Jagdhof and l’oxalis, the brasserie run by the team behind Darmstadt's Michelin-starred restaurant OX, with a quiet garden. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 18:00 (as of Oct. 2026).
Culture in the neighbourhood: jazz cellar, Knabenschule and puppet theatre for grown-ups
Many guests are surprised that one of Europe's great jazz addresses is in Bessungen of all places. The Jazzinstitut Darmstadt has been based since 1997 in the Baroque Bessunger Kavaliershaus, built between 1709 and 1725, and describes its holdings as the largest public jazz collection in Europe. Concerts are held regularly in the historic vaulted cellar, close to the stage and beneath old arches. You can visit the archive and media library by prior appointment.
A few streets away is the Kulturzentrum Bessunger Knabenschule (cultural centre in a former boys' school), a meeting place since 1983 for jazz, world music, Americana, cabaret, children's theatre and club nights. In autumn 2026, the programme includes, for example, the Cláudia Sofia Trio (10 October) and Volker Rebell & Band with "60 Jahre Beatles Revolver" (24 October) (as of Oct. 2026). Tickets are available via ztix.de.
And then there is the Comedy Hall with the Kikeriki Theater: since March 1996, puppet theatre for adults has been staged in the former Bessungen gymnasium – according to Darmstadt Marketing, more than 6,600 performances for over 1.45 million spectators. An evening there suits couples and groups who simply want a good laugh. The programme and prices are on the theatre's website.
Green and active: Prinz-Emil-Garten, the district pool and the Ludwigshöhe hill
Bessungen's second park is the counterpart to strict Baroque: the Prinz-Emil-Garten was laid out from 1775 as an English landscape garden for minister Friedrich Karl von Moser. Instead of symmetry, you will find a pond with a rebuilt island pavilion and the little palace (Schlösschen) of 1775–1778, today a neighbourhood centre. With its playgrounds, it is a good destination for parents with children. The Wolfskehl’scher Park climbs the Galgenberg hill in terraces; at the top are a playground and a Biedermeier tea house, and in winter the slope becomes a sledging run.
Sporty guests swim their lengths in the morning at the Bezirksbad Bessungen (district pool): a 25-metre sports pool with water at 27 degrees, plus a learner pool at 29 degrees. In the winter season (1 October 2026 to 16 May 2027) it is open Thursday and Friday from 7:00 to 22:00, Saturday from 8:00 to 19:00 and Sunday from 8:00 to 15:00; Monday to Wednesday it is reserved for schools and clubs. A single adult ticket costs €5 online (as of Oct. 2026).
For a view, hike up the Ludwigshöhe, Bessungen's local hill at around 242 metres. The Ludwigsturm tower was inaugurated in 1882, restored and reopened in June 2024; according to Darmstadt Marketing, on a clear day the view reaches as far as the Taunus hills and the Frankfurt skyline. The Bürgeraktion Bessungen-Ludwigshöhe (local citizens' association) announces the tower's opening times on its website – please check before visiting. The Ludwigsklause at the top of the hill serves food and drinks. Things get urban at the Lincoln Wall in the south of Bessungen: according to Darmstadt Marketing, the almost 700-metre noise barrier along the B3 is Hesse's largest legal graffiti wall, with well over 100 works. More of the city's green spaces are featured in our guide Parks in Darmstadt.
Festivals in Bessungen: Kerb, market and forest Christmas
Every Friday the Orangerie car park turns into the Bessunger Wochenmarkt (weekly market): from 14:00 to 18:00 (as of Oct. 2026) there is fruit, vegetables, bread and flowers. If you arrive on a Friday, shop for dinner right here and cook for yourself afterwards – in Studio 4, for example, at the long kitchenette by the window.
Once a year Bessungen celebrates its Kerb, the neighbourhood's traditional church fair. It usually takes place on the third weekend in September in the Orangerie garden; in 2026 it ran from 18 to 21 September. Since 2007 a swinging fabric rabbit with a carrot has hung from the Kerb tree – it used to be a real rabbit. The date for 2027 has not yet been published.
During Advent, Bessungen locals head up into the forest: on Sunday, 13 December 2026, the Bürgeraktion Bessungen-Ludwigshöhe invites everyone to the Waldweihnacht (forest Christmas) on the Ludwigshöhe – the quiet counterpart to the big Christmas market in the city centre. If you are planning a whole weekend, you will find more ideas in our guide Weekend in Darmstadt.
In the city centre in 10 minutes: getting around from Bessungen
The most important connection is tram 3. From the Orangerie stop, according to the HEAG mobilo timetable, it takes you without changing to Schloss in 7 minutes, to Luisenplatz in 10 minutes and to the main station in 19 minutes. Monday to Friday the line runs every 20 minutes during the day, with a separate timetable at weekends. During the autumn school holidays from 5 to 18 October 2026, a special timetable has it running roughly every 10 minutes during the day.
At Luisenplatz you get off right in the city centre; at the main station you can catch long-distance trains and the AirLiner to Frankfurt Airport. How Bessungen differs from the Martinsviertel, Eberstadt or Kranichstein is explained in our overview Darmstadt districts.
If you are coming by car, you should know about the new parking zone: from 19 October 2026, the city charges for on-street parking in Bessungen-Süd Monday to Saturday from 6:00 to 21:00, at €0.75 per 30 minutes with a maximum stay of four hours; the car park at the Orangerie is included too. Arriving by train and tram is more relaxed. Everything about facilities, location and booking direct is on our page Holiday apartment in Darmstadt-Bessungen, or take a look at the studios straight away.
Addresses & opening hours
Orangerie & Orangeriegarten Bessungen
Baroque garden on three levels with fountains and avenues, open to the public since 1802; the building houses a community centre and events, with a restaurant next door.
- Bessunger Straße 44, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 2 min walk · 0.1 km from the studios (straight line)
- Orangerie stop (tram 3)
Prinz-Emil-Garten & Prinz-Emil-Schlösschen
English landscape garden from 1775 with a little palace, pond, island pavilion and playgrounds.
- Heidelberger Straße, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 4 min walk · 0.2 km from the studios (straight line)
- Prinz-Emil-Garten stop
Wolfskehl’scher Park
Terraced park on the Galgenberg with a Biedermeier tea house, playground and sledging slope in winter.
- Klappacher Straße / Karlstraße, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 8 min walk · 0.5 km from the studios (straight line)
Bessunger Kirche
Centre of the old village core: bell from 1435, Art Nouveau baptismal font based on plans by Friedrich Pützer. Please check opening times before visiting.
- Am Kapellberg 2, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 3 min walk · 0.2 km from the studios (straight line)
plantyful – vegan takeaway & cakery
Fully vegan lunch to take away: soups, bowls and raw cakes.
- Niederstraße 1, 64285 Darmstadt
- Tue–Thu 12:00–14:00, pre-order by phone 10:00–11:00 (as of Oct. 2026)
- approx. 1 min walk · 0.0 km from the studios (straight line)
buna – fine coffee
Specialty coffee, also as decaf, home-baked pastéis de nata and kanelbullar; card payment only.
- Heidelberger Straße 72, 64285 Darmstadt
- Mon 10:00–17:30, Tue–Fri 8:30–17:30, Sat 10:00–17:30, closed Sun (as of Oct. 2026)
- approx. 6 min walk · 0.4 km from the studios (straight line)
aniko Coffee Roasters
Roastery with shop and coffee school: beans, equipment, workshops and tastings. Please check shop opening times before visiting.
- Bessunger Straße 53, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 2 min walk · 0.1 km from the studios (straight line)
Café Godot
A Bessungen institution since 1983: breakfast, lunch menu and wine, beer and cocktails in the evening.
- Bessunger Straße 2, 64285 Darmstadt
- Daily from 9:00, lunch 11:30–14:00 (as of Oct. 2026)
- approx. 3 min walk · 0.2 km from the studios (straight line)
- Freiberger Platz stop
Café LINIE 3
Breakfast until late, cakes, small hot dishes and Odenwald apple wine; seasonal terrace.
- Ludwigshöhstraße 1a, 64285 Darmstadt
- Daily 8:00–24:00, Sundays and public holidays 9:00–24:00 (as of Oct. 2026)
- approx. 3 min walk · 0.2 km from the studios (straight line)
- Orangerie stop (tram 3)
l’oxalis – Brasserie im Bessunger Jagdhof
Brasserie from the team behind the Michelin-starred restaurant OX, with a quiet garden – our tip for dinner in the neighbourhood.
- Forstmeisterstraße 5, 64285 Darmstadt
- Tue–Sat from 18:00 (as of Oct. 2026)
- approx. 5 min walk · 0.3 km from the studios (straight line)
Jazzinstitut Darmstadt
Jazz archive in the Baroque Kavaliershaus with concerts in the vaulted cellar; archive visits by appointment.
- Bessunger Straße 88d, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 6 min walk · 0.3 km from the studios (straight line)
Kulturzentrum Bessunger Knabenschule
Neighbourhood stage since 1983 for jazz, world music, cabaret, children's theatre and club nights.
- Ludwigshöhstraße 42, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 6 min walk · 0.4 km from the studios (straight line)
- Knabenschule stop (tram 3 and 7, according to the venue)
Comedy Hall & Kikeriki Theater
Puppet theatre for adults since 1996 in the former Bessungen gymnasium.
- Heidelberger Straße 131, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 10 min walk · 0.6 km from the studios (straight line)
Bezirksbad Bessungen
Indoor pool with a 25-metre sports pool (27 °C) and learner pool (29 °C); single ticket €5 online.
- Ludwigshöhstraße 10, 64285 Darmstadt
- Winter season 1 Oct. 2026–16 May 2027: Thu–Fri 7:00–22:00, Sat 8:00–19:00, Sun 8:00–15:00; Mon–Wed schools and clubs only (as of Oct. 2026)
- approx. 4 min walk · 0.2 km from the studios (straight line)
- Orangerie stop (tram 3)
Bessunger Wochenmarkt an der Orangerie
Friday market in the neighbourhood – shopping for your own kitchenette or a picnic in the Orangerie garden.
- Parkplatz der Orangerie, Bessunger Straße, 64285 Darmstadt
- Fri 14:00–18:00 (as of Oct. 2026)
- approx. 1 min walk · 0.1 km from the studios (straight line)
Ludwigshöhe & Ludwigsturm
Bessungen's local hill with an observation tower from 1882 and the Ludwigsklause; tower opening times are announced by the Bürgeraktion Bessungen-Ludwigshöhe – please check before visiting.
- Auf der Ludwigshöhe, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 31 min walk · 1.9 km from the studios (straight line)
Lincoln Wall
Almost 700 m long legal graffiti wall with well over 100 works – a photo spot in the south of Bessungen.
- Karlsruher Straße (B3), Lincoln-Siedlung, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 21 min walk · 1.3 km from the studios (straight line)
Haltestelle Orangerie
Tram 3 without changing: 7 min to Schloss, 10 min to Luisenplatz, 19 min to the main station (according to the timetable).
- Bessunger Straße, 64285 Darmstadt
- approx. 1 min walk · 0.1 km from the studios (straight line)
Distances from the studios (Jahnstraße 1, Darmstadt-Bessungen) as the crow flies, walking times estimated. Opening hours without guarantee – please check the venue website before visiting.
Our tips
- Arriving on a Friday pays off: the Bessunger Wochenmarkt is held from 14:00 to 18:00 in the Orangerie car park (as of Oct. 2026).
- plantyful is only open Tue–Thu from 12:00 to 14:00; you can pre-order by phone between 10:00 and 11:00 (as of Oct. 2026).
- buna only accepts card payment and is closed on Sundays – on Sundays, have breakfast at Café LINIE 3 from 9:00 or at Café Godot (as of Oct. 2026).
- At the district pool there is women-only swimming on Saturdays 8:00–10:00 (women and children up to 6 years), in 2026 on 17 October, 31 October, 14 November, 28 November and 12 December; on the Sundays 18 October, 15 November and 6 December 2026 it is only open from 8:00 to 12:00, and from 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 the pool is closed.
- New parking zone in Bessungen-Süd from 19 October 2026: charges apply Mon–Sat 6:00–21:00, maximum four hours – arriving by train and tram 3 is more relaxed.
FAQ
What is special about Darmstadt-Bessungen?
When is the weekly market in Darmstadt-Bessungen?
Is there a restaurant at the Orangerie Darmstadt?
What events take place at the Orangerie Darmstadt?
How do I get from Bessungen to Darmstadt city centre?
When is the Bessunger Kerb?
Sources & further reading: Wikipedia: Darmstadt-Bessungen (Ersterwähnung 1002, Eingemeindung 1888, „Lapping“, Kerb meist 3. Septemberwochenende im Orangeriegarten, Dorfkern, ehemalige Bessunger Turnhalle) · Wikipedia: Bessunger Kirche (Glocke 1435, Umgestaltung 1908/09 nach Friedrich Pützer) · Stadtlexikon Darmstadt: Orangerie (1716, Grundstein 22.07.1719, Brand 1774, Wiederaufbau 1782, öffentlich seit 1802, Rosenschau 1870, Olbrich 1905, Bürgerhaus und Restaurant) · Darmstadt Marketing: Orangerie (Westflügel und Gewächshaus, Restaurant und Veranstaltungsort) · Stadt Darmstadt: Die großen 5 Parks (Orangeriegarten in drei Ebenen, Prinz-Emil-Garten, Haltestellen) · Stadt Darmstadt: Weitere Grünanlagen (Wolfskehl’scher Park) · Stadtlexikon Darmstadt: Prinz-Emil-Garten / Prinz-Emil-Schlösschen (Schlösschen 1775–1778, zwei Spielplätze) · Darmstädter Residenzfestspiele: Spielstätte Orangerie · Darmstädter Residenzfestspiele 2026 (31.07.–09.08.2026) · buna – fine coffee: Angebot und Öffnungszeiten · European Coffee Trip: buna, Darmstadt · aniko Coffee Roasters: Rösterei, Laden und Kaffeeschule · Café LINIE 3: Öffnungszeiten · Café LINIE 3: Startseite (Angebot, Namensherkunft) · Café Godot: Öffnungszeiten, Mittagstisch, seit 1983 · plantyful – vegan takeaway & cakery: Öffnungszeiten und Vorbestellung · l’oxalis – Brasserie im Bessunger Jagdhof: Öffnungszeiten · MICHELIN Guide: OX, Darmstadt (1 Stern 2026) · Jazzinstitut Darmstadt: Sammlung, Kavaliershaus, Konzerte im Gewölbekeller · Darmstadt Marketing: Jazzinstitut Darmstadt · Kulturzentrum Bessunger Knabenschule: Programm Herbst 2026 · Kulturzentrum Bessunger Knabenschule: Einblick (seit 1983) · Kulturzentrum Bessunger Knabenschule: Kontakt und Anfahrt (Tram 3 und 7) · Darmstadt Marketing: Comedy Hall & Kikeriki Theater (seit 1996, Vorstellungen, Zuschauer) · Bäder Darmstadt: Bezirksbad Bessungen (Becken, Wassertemperatur, Frauenschwimmen) · Bäder Darmstadt: Öffnungszeiten Wintersaison 2026/27 (Bezirksbad 01.10.2026–16.05.2027, Schließ- und Sondertage) · Bäder Darmstadt: Einzelkarte Erwachsene Bezirksbad Bessungen · Darmstadt Marketing: Ludwigshöhe · Darmstadt Marketing: Ludwigsturm | Ludwigshöhe (Höhe 242 m, Ausblick, Ludwigsklause) · Stadt Darmstadt: Wiedereröffnung des sanierten Ludwigsturms (27.06.2024) · Darmstadt Marketing: Lincoln Wall · Darmstadt Marketing: Darmstädter Wochenmärkte (Bessunger Markt Fr 14–18 Uhr) · Wandelbares Darmstadt: Wochenmärkte in Darmstadt (Angebot Bessunger Markt) · Darmstadt Marketing: Kirchweih-Veranstaltungen (Bessunger Kerb 18.–21.09.2026) · Bürgeraktion Bessungen-Ludwigshöhe: Termine (Waldweihnacht 13.12.2026) · HEAG mobilo: Fahrplan Linie 3 (gültig ab 14.12.2025) · HEAG mobilo: Sonderfahrplan Linie 3 Herbstferien 05.–18.10.2026 · HEAG mobilo: AirLiner · Stadt Darmstadt: Neue Parkzone Bessungen-Süd ab 19.10.2026 (inkl. Parkplatz an der Orangerie) · Bürgeraktion Bessungen-Ludwigshöhe: Aktuelles (Öffnungstermine Ludwigsturm) · Nominatim / OpenStreetMap: Koordinaten der Orte (Abruf 05.10.2026)
Your stay
Experience Bessungen like a local: in your own studio by the Orangerie
Our seven studios are right in the heart of Bessungen, with a kitchenette for your Friday market shopping, a workspace with Wi-Fi and self check-in. Book directly online for stays of two nights or more and stay where Darmstadt is green and quiet.
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