Residential Palace Darmstadt, Renaissance and Baroque palace in Darmstadt, Germany.

The Residential Palace Darmstadt consists of an older Renaissance complex with the Herrenbau, Weißer Saalbau, Kaisersaalbau and Kirchenbau around a church courtyard, plus the Baroque De-la-Fosse-Bau: a three-storey south and west wing on an angular plan, left unfinished after only two wings were completed by 1726. A roughly 39 m bell tower stands in the southeast; the pale pink facade with cream trim and a dark mansard roof faces the town through a fortified gate.

The palace started in the 13th century as a moated castle for the counts of Katzenelnbogen and was later transformed into a residence for the landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt. This family shaped the building into the center of their rule and remodeled it to fit their needs.

The palace was the seat of the landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt and remains central to the city's identity. Its rooms reflect the power and influence this family held over the region for centuries.

The Technical University of Darmstadt uses portions of the palace today, while guided tours provide access to historic rooms and exhibition areas. Check ahead to learn which sections are open to visitors, as not all areas are accessible to the public.

The palace's moat was turned back into a park after 2012, in three stages: the northeast third in 2014, the northwest third in 2017, and the section facing the Marktplatz, opened on 16 September 2023. Sculptures by Wolfgang Bier, Carola Keitel, Thomas Duttenhoefer, Georg-Friedrich Wolf, Gerda Bier and Manfred Emmenegger-Kanzler stand in it.