The enchantment of art nouveau fills the German city of Darmstadt, 30 kilometres south of Frankfurt am Main. Strange buildings are dotted across the city, their surreal curves and Jugendstil style making Darmstadt a popular day trip from Frankfurt. Formerly the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, Darmstadt has redeveloped itself in recent years and offers a range of intriguing sights and attractions.

The Kunstlerkolonie Mathildenhohe is where many of the art nouveau buildings are found, as visitors can explore on foot and find plenty of bizarre photos to take. Many are relatively modern buildings yet honour the style from the early 20th century, notably the Waldspirale, or “Forest Spiral”, with its strange yellow curves. The city’s historic landmark is Lander Ludwig, a towering sandstone column that can be climbed. Continuing the archaic sense of grandeur is Frankenstein Castle, a building holding significant history.A fable suggests that this castle inspired Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, although historians remain unconvinced.

Darmstadt is a great city to discover on foot. The BikeSurf project provides bikes free of charge, and most of the streets have dedicated cycle lanes. Trains connect the city with its surroundings and Darmstadt is on the ICE high-speed line. The city is 20 minutes away from Frankfurt Airport and 30 minutes from Frankfurt am Main by train.

Those familiar with the lower reaches of the Periodic Table will recognise the name Darmstadtium. Element 110 is named after the city of Darmstadt, a recognition of the city’s role in synthesising new elements. Its symbol is Ds, yet relatively little is known about Darmstadtium, other than that it is highly radioactive.