Giessen

Giessen is a destination in Hessen, Germany. It offers visitors a range of attractions and experiences in a distinctive setting.

By train

Gießen station .

Service every two hours on the ICE 26 from Hamburg, Hannover, Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Karlsruhe. RE to Frankfurt run every 20 min and take 1 hour. RB to Kassel, Marburg, Wetzlar and Limburg run every hour.  

By car

Gießen can be reached by via motorways from all directions. There are several parking garages along the inner ring road. Using a car within the inner ring road is rarely advisable because of one way streets and pedestrian zones.

The town centre of Giessen is compact and walkable. Local buses connect the main districts and nearby attractions. Taxis are available from the train station.

Buildings

Elefantenklo

( elefant's toilette ).

The most known view in Gießen seems to be the E-Klo, a "masterwork" of the questionable urban planning policy from the late 1960s. It is a massive pedestrian overpass found at Selterstor. The popular name is due to the three large octagonal openings in the concrete slab. This says a lot about what is there to see in urban Gießen.  

Stadtkirchenturm .

Remains of tower of the former church Stadtkirche. Ask at Kirchenladen next door if you want to climb the tower for a view over the city.  

Museums

Mathematikum ,

Liebigstraße 8 .

An interactive museum of math and physics just down the road from the main train station.  

Liebig Museum ,

Liebigstraße 12 .

A museum dedicated to the chemist Justus Liebig and chemistry in Liebig's original laboratory. It offers lectures with demonstrations of chemical reactions. Due to a fire in 2022 its opening hours are limited during the reconstruction.  

Kunsthalle Gießen ,

Berliner Platz 1 .

With temporary art exhibitions.  

Museum für Gießen

( formerly Oberhessisches Museum ).

A museum of art and history. As of 2024, it is under redevelopment in order to become mo

There is a boat rental that offers pedal boats and canoes on the river Lahn. Both short rentals and day trips are possible. One can enjoy the nature of the Lahn valley on a 5- to 6-hour trip to Wetzlar .

Learn

Justus-Liebig University .

Founded in 1607 and with a bit under 30,000 students, Hesse's second biggest university, this is the main reason why Gießen is known outside its immediate environs.

University cafeterias .

The cafeterias of JLU and THM are operated by Studierendenwerk Gießen. Everyone can eat there but you need to ask at the cash desk for a black MensaCard for guests for payment. They are scattered across the city and offer lunch. The main cafeteria at Otto-Behagel-Straße also offers dinner. The vegetarian options are good, vegan options also exist.  

Adria ,

Frankfurter Straße 30 .

Italian restaurant.  

Bakchos ,

Ludwigstraße 10

( near the Marktplatz ).

Greek restaurant.  

heyligenstaedt ,

Aulweg 41 ,

☏

+49 641 4609650 .

Hotel and restaurant.

Cafes and bars in the town centre serve coffee, wine, and local beverages. Regional wines and spirits are worth sampling.

Hotel Steinsgarten .  

Hotel Altes Eishaus ,

Wißmarer Weg 45 .

Seltersweg

( Within the inner ring road. ).

Is the main shopping street. It is pedestrianized and offers a variety of shops (clothes, jewelry, books, drugstores). More shops can be found on the side streets. These are often quieter than the busy Seltersweg. On and around Seltersweg, there are many restaurants, cafés and food stalls. Despite the damage of World War II, some historic w:Gründerzeit buildings have survived or were rebuilt. Most of them are at the southern end of the street.  

Galeria

( at the southern end of Seltersweg ).

By far the largest department store in the city. Before the merger of the department store chains Karstadt and Kaufhof, it was called Karstadt. Locally, it is still called Kartstadt.  

Wochenmarkt

( Brandplatz in the city centre ).

W Sa 07:00–14:00 .

Farmer's market. You can buy fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese and flowers there. Some of it is locally produced. Some food stalls offer small meals.  

neustädter .

Is a shopping mall. Even though there is an increasing number of vacancies, it is still a functional shopping mall that compliments Seltersweg.  

Westoria

( use bus stop Friedrich-List-Straße ).

A car-centric s

• Berlin — Germany's capital city, reachable by regional train
• Nearby towns in Hessen — explore the surrounding region