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Hesse (German: Hessen [1]) is one of the states of the Federal Republic of Germany.

[edit] Regions

North Hessen or Kur-Hessen.

[edit] Cities

• Bad Hersfeld
• Bad Homburg
• Darmstadt
• Dreieich
• Frankfurt
• Fulda
• Giessen
• Gelnhausen
• Hanau
• Herborn
• Kassel
• Marburg
• Oberaula
• Offenbach am Main
• Reinheim
• Wiesbaden state capital
• Wetzlar
• Neu-Isenburg

[edit] Villages

• Roßdorf
• Erzhausen
• Dipperz
• Seligenstadt

[edit] Other destinations

• Grosser Feldberg. The highest mountain in Taunus (881 metres). On its summit, there is a 40 metre tall observation tower. A much more remarkable tower on its summit is the telecommunication tower, which cannot normally be visited.

[edit] Understand

You can talk English in Hesse without a problem, but it's better when you speak slowly, as many people are not confident about their English and do not want to embarrass themselves with a native speaker. In smaller towns and out in the country, it's more likely that you will encounter people who cannot speak or understand English.

However, as most students take English as a second language, you'll find that many young people speak English well, albeit accented.

You may be surprised at how friendly the people can be, as (like most Germans) the Hessians are very friendly and nice when you are friendly too.

You can get some good tips on local events and places to visit from the locals if your take the time to ask.

Feel free to try out any German you have--either you'll get what you want, or at the least impress/amuse your victim!

[edit] Internet Cafes

Good luck if you're out of the major cities like Frankfurt or Wiesbaden.

[edit] Telephone

Public telephones are rare in many areas, and to complicate matters there was a transition from coins to rechargable/disposable cards a few years before mobile phones made public telephones mostly obsolete. You can buy public telephone cards at the Post or some shops. If you have a mobile phone that takes SIM cards, consider buying a disposable SIM at a mobile phone shop. In the case of an emergency, most people would of course let you use their own phone.

[edit] Accidents

The number for the Police (Polizei) is 110, and for the fire department (Feuerwehr) and ambulance service 112. They can often talk some English.

[edit] Rules in Understanding

Ask for help when you need it!

[edit] Talk

Natives of Hesse have a strong dialect of German, that can even be confusing to other Germans. They will understand and speak high ("standard") German as well. Since many also speak at least rudimentary English you shouldn't have any problems communicating with them.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

International visitors will arrive mostly at Frankfurt Airport, the second largest airport in Europe and a major hub for the German carrier Lufthansa. Frankfurt's central station is less than 15 minutes away by subway.

Hahn, somewhat misleadingly officially called "Frankfurt Hahn" even though the city is over 100 km away, is a former military airfield being used by "no frills" low budget airlines. Getting from Hahn to Frankfurt takes about 90 minutes.

[edit] By train

Regular and high-speed Intercity trains connect Hesse to the rest of the nation as well as to various international destinations.

[edit] Get around

There are large regional networks of public transport:

• Nordhessischer VerkehrsVerbund (NVV)
• Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV)
• German National Railways offer the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket for day-long unlimited travel on local trains nationwide.

[edit][add listing] See

• Frankfurt's skyline of highrises clustered in the downtown city is a rare sight in Europe.
• Not necessarily touristy Rüdesheim, but the valley of the river Rhine with its castles and vineyards
• Eberbach Abbey[2], a cistercian monastery where 'The Name of the Rose' was shot
• Hessenpark[3], an open-air museum showcasing half-timbered buildings from the land of Hesse

[edit][add listing] Do

• Shopping, museums, opera, theater and ballet options abound in Frankfurt.
• Take a boat trip on the rivers Main and Rhine.
• Go canoeing on the Lahn river.
• Do some hiking up the Feldberg/Taunus or in the Spessart woods.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• A vegetarian option for the daring is Handkäs mit Musik, literally: hand cheese with music, a traditional dish where dry, round, low-fat cheese is marinated in oil with caraway and raw onions (hence the "music").
• Another Hesse specialty is Rippchen mit Kraut, cooked pork chops with loads of Sauerkraut.
• Not to mention the original Frankfurter Wuerstchen, which are essentially the same as Wiener.
• For pastries, try the Frankfurter Kranz (Frankfurt Wreath).

[edit][add listing] Drink

Local specialties include wine from grapes, especially white grapes, and from apples (a kind of cider). This apple wine (ebbelwei) may be enjoyed straight (pur) or mixed (gespritzt). The latter versions distinguish between "sweet" and "sour", i.e. mixed with either some citrus soda (Süßgesprizter) or sparkling mineral water (Sauerngesprizter).

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Across the state and the country is a dense network of Youth Hostels (membership required).

[edit] Get out