Langen

Your trip to Langen will take you into the southern part of Hesse between Darmstadt and Frankfurt am Main. The 37,000 inhabitants are spread over a total of six districts. During your mini-break in Langen visit the old town which is on the eastern side. Romantic half-timbered houses from the 18th and 19th century define the character of this historic quarter behind the town wall.  Langen has a modern centre with little shops, specialist retailers and department stores, and it's a great place to go on a pleasant shopping ramble during your trip. The district of Neurott in the north-west is impressive mainly for its business park. Linden in the west and Steinberg in the south-east are purely residential areas, full of terraced, detached and semi-detached houses.

During your trip to Langen visit the Old Town Hall Museum. This building put up in 1826/27 now holds the civic history collection which charts the development of Langen right up to modern times. It has exhibitions on artisan family life in the 19th century and the history of Wolfsgarten Castle. In the foyer you can admire works by the painter, Hermann Bahner.

The New Town Hall is the cultural centre of Langen. This modern building is the venue for concerts and theatre and cabaret performances. Marvel too at the works of art: there are many exhibitions and the rooms are flooded with light.  One highlight is the collection of contemporary stained glass. In the centre of the exhibition, which includes 100 works in total, stands the creative work of the stained glass artist, Johannes Schreiter.

Find time on your short trip to Langen to wander through the historic old town which is dominated by the 52m bell tower of the town's parish church. This building, consecrated in 1883, was built by Johann Christian Horst in the Neogothic style. The fountain with four jets is especially worth seeing. This Renaissance structure has been spouting water from the Mühltal valley since 1553. A very popular scene to photograph is the Blunt Tower from the 14th century with the Weiherswiese meadow next to it. The Sharp Tower used to be part of the town's fortifications. This 20m tall round tower has also been used as a prison in the past.

On warm summer days during your trip to Langen you can go to the exciting open air pool for a refreshing plunge into the water. With a 50 metre swimming pool, diving boards and an adventure pool with wild water rapids it's fun for old and young alike. There's even a baby pool with a water mushroom which is lovely for splashing about in. You can lie down and relax on a large grassy area. For physical activity there's the children's play area and the beach volleyball court.