Mannheim

Modern and bustling, Mannheim is SouthWest Germany’s second largest city, known for its excellent and varied shopping, and North American grid-style street plan.

As the world celebrates the 125th anniversary of the invention of the car, Mannheim’s greatest claim to fame is as the birthplace of Carl Benz’s machine in 1886.

Highlights

• Water tower: What sounds mundane is actually a lovely Jugendstil (art nouveau) building set in a park with fountains, right in the city.
• Art Gallery (Kunsthalle): With modern art, ranging from Courbet, Manet and van Gogh to Henry Moore.