Giessen at a Glance

There are various culinary options in Giessen. The following cafés are ideal for a coffee, a piece of cake or a small snack: Lieblingsmensch, Schwätzer & Söhne, Café Geißner, Kuchen & So, Supercafé, Café Allée, Wombats. 
 
Rather want to opt for a mock- or cocktail? Giessen has many bars: Strandbar (at Schwanenteich, an outdoor bar) Mr. Jones, Enjoy Bar, Ulenspiegel, milk & sugar. 

Giessen has various options to enjoy culture through its different museums, which are worth a visit:  

• The Mathematikum is a hands-on museum that offers exciting experiments to get to know the world of math better.
• The Liebig Museum is the historical laboratory of the chemist Justus von Liebig.
• The Kunsthalle Giessen  is an institution for contemporary art and is dedicated to temporary exhibitions.
• Gießkannenmuseum: Giessen is not only a city, but also a verb, meaning to ‘pour’. Visit the watering cans museum if you are a huge fan of ‘Giessen’. 

The Theatre is one of the most beautiful buildings in Giessen and entrance is free of charge for JLU students. It is worth a visit to admire it from the outside, but it is also a magnificent place inside.  
 
The Schiffenberg Monastery (Kloster Schiffenberg) in Giessen impresses with its picturesque location on a hill with a wonderful view of the surrounding area. The historical architecture and the peaceful, idyllic atmosphere are particularly fascinating, inviting you to relax and enjoy. 

Further opportunities to meet new people are for example cultural centres like the Lokal International, Jokus  or the Kü-Ché, where you can have food and drinks as well. But also the co-working space Anschlussverwendung, the Weekly Local Market or the  Tuesday Night Skating (in summer) are great opportunities to get in touch with others. 

To enjoy some nature and peace and quiet, the Botanical Garden in the heart of the city, the “Bergwerkswald” forest on the edge of the city and the hill Schiffenberg with its monastery offer opportunities for walks and relaxation.

Take a look at the following job boards:

• JLU
• Student services

• Emergency phone numbers: 112 (fire department and rescue service), 110 (police)
• Pharmacies
• Hospitals: Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg (UKGM)
• Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst (medical on-call service): 
  The medical on-call service is for patients who need urgent medical help outside of regular consultation hours. It is intended for patients who are not suffering from a life-threatening illness, but who cannot wait until the next consultation hour. The service is always available under the number 116 117.  

The following supermarkets offer a good selection of groceries:

• Rewe, Edeka, Tegut (slightly more expensive)
• Aldi, Penny, Lidl (cheaper options)
• Turgut Markt, Kaya Markt (Turkish supermarket)
• go Asia, Le My Tran (Asian supermarkets)

A money-saving and sustainable tip: With the app Too Good To Go, you can pick up unsold, surplus food from cafés, restaurants and stores at a discounted price! Saving food and money at the same time—a student favourite.

You can find options to stay here and of course get in touch with our International Office.  

With your semester ticket you can travel comfortably all over Germany on local public transport for free! (IC and ICE trains are excluded). 
 
JLU students can use the bike rental system and have 45 minutes free. 

• New Year’s Day  (1st of January 2025)
• Good Friday (18th of April 2025)
• Easter Monday (21st of April 2025)
• Labour Day (1st of May)
• Ascension Day (29th of May 2025)
• Whit Monday (9th of June 2025)
• Corpus Christi (19th of June 2025)
• German Unification Day (3rd of October)
• 1st  and  2nd  Christmas Day (25th&26th of December) 

Giessen has its own unique language, "Manisch," spoken mainly in the districts of Eulenkopf, Margaretenhütte, and Gummiinsel. Once a symbol of exclusion, it now represents local identity.