Discover Giessen by Hire Car
Gießen is located in the middle of Hesse, not far from Frankfurt and yet beyond the hectic big city atmosphere.
The city is especially proud of Justus Liebig, who taught and researched here as a professor of chemistry, so much so that Justus Liebig University was named after him.
More than a quarter of Giessen’s 74,000 inhabitants are students at this university. Likewise, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who was buried here at his request, is honored with a monument.
Sights in Giessen
Gießen’s municipal theatre, which like many residential buildings was built in the Art Nouveau style, and the west tower of the city church are worth a visit. The city centre offers a nice pedestrian zone for a leisurely shopping trip and those interested in mathematics will be thrilled by the Mathematikum.
Gießen is also home to Germany’s oldest botanical garden, whose forest botanical section in the Schiffenberg Forest invites visitors to take an educational and relaxing stroll.
The Schiffenberg, where a former monastery grounds serve as the venue for the “Musical Summer”, and the surrounding area of Giessen, characterised by small villages with castles and half-timbered houses, are best explored by hire car.
Specialities from Gießen
The romantic meadow orchards provide the basis for the local speciality, cider, which can be enjoyed neat, spritzed, cold or even hot. It is traditionally accompanied by hand cheese with music: a low-fat cheese in a marinade of oil, apple cider vinegar, caraway seeds and other spices with plenty of onions.
Those who prefer something different certainly won’t go hungry, either: The pubs and restaurants of Giessen and the surrounding area offer a variety of culinary delights in a cosy atmosphere at often very reasonable prices.