Located directly opposite Mannheim, Ludwigshafen am Rhein is a riverfront city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Since the mid-19th century, it has been renowned as an industrial hub and home to the chemical manufacturer BASF while it’s also home to leafy parks and a world-class art museum.
Things to do in Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Art lovers shouldn’t miss a visit to the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, which is named after the Cologne businessman who donated his art collection to the city in 1971. A vibrant mosaic by Joan Miró dominates the museum’s otherwise white building and was created using 7,200 tiles crafted in the Spanish village of Gallifa. Highlights of the collection include works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Wassily Kandinsky, as well as Celtic, Roman and Franconian artefacts.
Want to visit one of the largest chemical manufacturers in the world? Join a guided tour of the BASF factory, which is by far the largest employer in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. The Visitor Centre offers an interactive look at the company and its products and explores how chemistry is used in a range of everyday applications.
Hugging a curve in the Rhine River is the Parkinsel, a leafy park traversed by several walking trails. In the late 19th century, it was transformed into an island with the creation of the Luitpoldhafen, but is once again connected to the rest of the city. Let the kids loose on the children’s playground, rent a watercraft from the Ludwigshafen Canoe Club or dine at the Turn- und Fecht- Club.
Getting around Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Ludwigshafen am Rhein is just over an hour’s drive from Frankfurt and slightly less from Frankfurt Airport. Trains connect from cities across Germany to the Ludwigshafen railway station while both trams and buses travel throughout the city.