Art & Rhine Weekend

Wilhelm Hack Museum

Start at the most important art museum in Rhineland-Palatinate. The glowing ceramic wall by Joan Miró on the facade is worth the trip alone; inside await classical modernism, concrete art and changing exhibitions.

Lunch at the Hack Museum

Right next to the Miró wall, the restaurant at the Hack Museum serves seasonal, modern cuisine made with regional produce, along with a small terrace that looks out on the glowing mosaic.

Ernst Bloch Centre

In the Walzmühle complex near the main station, the Ernst Bloch Centre is dedicated to the philosopher born in Ludwigshafen, the thinker behind the 'Principle of Hope'. His extensive private library is kept here, alongside exhibitions on utopia and hope.

Theater im Pfalzbau and the City Museum

A stroll leads to the Theater im Pfalzbau, one of the largest touring theatres in Germany, and to the City Museum in the Rathaus-Center, which tells the young, BASF-shaped history of a city founded only in 1853.

Evening in the city

A vegetarian and vegan evening at the Grünzeug, not far from the theatre and the Hack Museum — seasonal bowls, curries and homemade lemonades in a friendly atmosphere.

Stay in the city centre

Central location at Berliner Platz with short distances to the Rhein-Galerie, the main station and the Rhine promenade — ideal for the second day.

Parkinsel

The Parkinsel in the south is a green oasis between the arms of the Rhine, with villas, mature trees and riverside paths. Every summer it becomes the stage for the renowned Festival of German Film. A quiet morning walk by the water.

Tip: If you come in late summer, do check the programme of the Festival of German Film.

Lunch on the Parkinsel

At the Inselcafe on the edge of the park there is a long breakfast menu, homemade cakes and fine coffee specialities on a cosy terrace beneath the trees.

Rhine promenade and Luitpoldhafen

Along the Rhine promenade with its view of Mannheim, on to the Luitpoldhafen Süd, a former commercial harbour that has transformed into a modern waterfront residential quarter — towered over by the striking 'Rheinufer Süd' high-rise.

Rudolf Scharpf Gallery in the Hemshof

The Wilhelm Hack Museum's branch on Hemshofstrasse is the testing ground for young, contemporary art. In intimate rooms, emerging artists often show new positions away from the established scene.

Evening in the Hemshof

To finish, multicultural cuisine in the city's liveliest quarter: the Ocakbasi serves Turkish grilled fare over an open charcoal fire, often right at the table — lamb skewers, köfte and mezze in convivial company.