Another gorgeous place in Frankfurt to spend most of the day. We hiked to the botanical gardens,…read moreacres, and acres of spectacular flowers, fountains, and a lake where you can rent paddle boats. We were able to get a cup of coffee and a cup of tea in the gift shop, the only other place was cash only.

I visit botanical gardens wherever I travel and I'm so glad I had a chance to visit Palmengarten!…read more The grounds are beautiful and the plant variety across varied climates is really spectacular. From the deserts to the sub-arctic and everything in between, the gardens have it. Expect to spend four to five hours to get the full experience. The cafes are good and I stopped for a coffee and pastry, which were delicious.

This park is near the city centre, and just a step away from the main shopping street, the Zeil. On…read morefirst entering the park, which is enclosed by a wall, thereby making it more peaceful once in the park, you are struck by the beauty of it all and the great expanse of greenery and flowers (I am assuming this, as i entered it when it was the middle of Winter). When looking around, you come across a secondary wall in the interior which you think is the exit, but is in fact a Chinese Garden that is beautifully decorated with a little pogoda and Chinese sculptures. It is a beautiful park that needs to be visited when in Frankfurt, and will give you a sense of peace and calm upon entering from the hustle and bustle that is Frankfurt.

downtown frankfurt - one of a few opportunities to really calm down and relax - just some minutes…read morewalk from the city

A large petshop in the "bowels" of the Luisencentre. Small animals, fish and birds are being sold,…read moreas well as a wide variety of cages and pet accessories. When we bought my son's gerbils there, we had to take all three that were left which I thoroughly approved - gerbils need company but it is not easy to get them acquainted when they are older. We could have used a bit more advice, but were referred to the booklet section instead.

This is my favorite place in Darmstadt! The garden design and the buildings around it are elegant…read moreand beautiful! As you walk thru you will realize that this garden holds it's own surprises... the sundials, the water features, and the historically painted library building that is a 'bring one-take one' lending library. This is not the only feature that is 'community-minded', the garden is planted with flowers and organic veggies that can be purchased at local stands. The dwarf apple trees were loaded with apples! Awesome garden and more awesome library! Also the other building is the Porcelain Museum that has lovely statues and dinnerware that belonged to the local rulers.