Founded in the 8th century, and Unesco-listed in 1991, Kloster Lorsch was an important religious site in its heyday, especially for the Carolingian dynasty. A visit to the monastery makes a nice excursion from Darmstadt, despite few of the original buildings having been preserved (the Königshalle and Altenmünster are the most accessible). The complex has three museum sections - one on the history of the abbey, the second on life in Hesse, and a third on tobacco, which was cultivated in Lorsch in the late 17th century.
