Embracing Mannheim

Embracing the city you are studying abroad in is key—make it feel like home! This was one of the biggest pieces of advice I received before starting my program. This semester has been filled with so many travel adventures, which has been fun, but has also made me appreciate my routine when I’m back in Germany!

How did I make Mannheim feel like home?

I cleaned and decorated my room, got a gym membership, joined a student organization called 180 Degrees Consulting, and became part of an international Bible study group called SMD. I also bought the Deutschland ticket so I wasn’t restricted when using public transportation around the city. I made a point to attend all my classes to stay motivated and get out of my apartment. Something fun I started this semester was buying postcards in every city I visited and taping them to the wall above my desk—they made for the best decorations!

My Hafen apartment + photo wall

Since my trip to Portugal at the beginning of May, my life has been all about embracing Mannheim, taking small day trips around the area—oh, and studying for exams.

Things I would recommend doing in Mannheim (especially as a student):

• Tour the Schloss, a Baroque palace that’s now part of the University of Mannheim

• Walk along the Rhine and Neckar rivers

• Go shopping along Planken & Breite Street and in the Q6Q7 Mall

• Try Döner, a famous Turkish dish in Germany, at one of the many Turkish restaurants

• See the Wasserturm, Mannheim’s iconic landmark in Friedrichsplatz, surrounded by beautiful Art Nouveau architecture and gardens

  

  Wasserturm

• Visit the Jesuit Church, another stunning example of Baroque architecture

• Go ice skating at Eissportzentrum Herzogenried

• Spend a day at Luisenpark, a gorgeous park with gardens, boat rides, a butterfly house, and a Chinese tea house

• Attend Schneckenhof, the weekly Thursday night party hosted by the university

• Rent a NextBike (students get 30 minutes free!) and explore the city by bike

• See the model of Carl Benz’s invention of the first car on Ringstraße

• Discover the street art in Jungbusch

• Try Spaghettieis, a famous ice cream dessert that originated in Mannheim

  

  Spaghettieis

• Have a barbecue or picnic with friends along the Neckarwiesen/Neckarstrand

• Get a gym membership at D2 Fitness Gym

  

  Free crossfit gym for students!

• Hang out at EO Café and Café Soleil

• Join a student organization like 180 Degrees Consulting—I had the privilege of working with a London-based startup through their recruitment process

• Attend startup info sessions at the Mafinex Technology Center—I learned about a sustainable edible silverware brand that launched just a few years ago

• Try a chai latte and cheesecake at Franky’s Cheesecake Farm—one of my favorite coffee shops

• Spend an evening at Kunsthalle Mannheim (it’s free from 6–10 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month!)

• Try out the free sports and workout classes offered by the university! I did Pilates, functional fitness, GWO, calisthenics, body performance, full-body workout, and more. All I had to do was apply for a free sports card and sign up online the day before each class.

• Tour BASF, the largest chemical plant in the world, located just across the river in Ludwigshafen. IBEA organized a tour for us, and it was super interesting—basically the entire city is the factory!

Things I didn’t do, but are also worth checking out in Mannheim:

• Mannheimer Maimarkt

• Germany’s largest regional trade fair in May

• Technoseum

• Reiss-Engelhorn Museums

• National Theatre Mannheim

• Herzogenriedpark

I can’t believe I’ll be flying back to the U.S. exactly one week from when I am writing this (June 8th)! Next up: MAN 401 exam, Norway, and goodbye festivities!!