In 1899, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse invited a group of young artists and architects to Darmstadt and gave them a hill to build on. The Mathildenhöhe became an artists' colony and a showcase for Jugendstil, the German Art Nouveau, with studios, houses and exhibitions designed as total works of art, down to the cutlery. Behind it lay a simple idea: that art should shape everyday life, from the house to the chair to the wallpaper. The exhibitions of 1901, 1904, 1908 and 1914 drew visitors from all over Europe, and the ensemble was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2021.
The skyline of the hill is unmistakable: the Wedding Tower, built by Joseph Maria Olbrich in 1908 to commemorate the grand duke's second marriage, with its five rounded fingers at the top, and the golden onion domes of the Russian chapel, built for the grand duke's sister, the last tsarina of Russia. The exhibition building, the artists' houses and the Platanenhain, a square of plane trees with sculptures, are all within a short walk.
Darmstadt itself is a university city of around one hundred and forty thousand people, known for science, technology and research. It was badly damaged in the Second World War, and much of the centre was rebuilt in a modern style, but the Mathildenhöhe survived largely intact. Fuel, food and everything else are easy to find.
For riders, the Odenwald, just south and east of Darmstadt, is one of the best motorcycle regions in Germany, with winding roads through forests and valleys, small villages and castles. Popular routes can be busy at weekends, and some roads have motorcycle restrictions or speed limits due to noise and accidents, so check the signs. The Bergstraße, along the edge of the Rhine plain to the south, is famous for its early blossom and wine, and the Abbey of Lorsch, a Carolingian monastery with a famous gatehouse, is a short ride away.