What to do in Darmstadt
If you want to leave the house in the evening or on weekends, you can find possibly interesting events at https://partyamt.de/ or in the https://www.p-stadtkultur.de/ magazin which is freely distributed within the city and available online on their webpage.
Food / Cafes
3klang - Good food not too far from university, mixture of cafe, restaurant and bar.
Riegerplatz 3, 64289 Darmstadt http://www.3klang-bar.de/
Cafe Chaos - Traditional student cafe serving breakfast until midnight.
Mühlstraße 36, 64283 Darmstadt
Cafe Hess - Relaxed cafe and bar to spend the Feierabend (German for after work) in.
Nieder-Ramstädter Str. 13, 64283 Darmstadt
Coccola - Probably the best ice cream in town, different flavours every day.
Schustergasse 7, 64283 Darmstadt http://www.coccola-diemacher.de/
Habibi - Jan’s favourite place to eat lunch. Vegetarian and vegan food with Mediterranean / Middle-Eastern or Indian spicing.Landwehrstraße 13, 64293 Darmstadt http://www.cafe-habibi.de/
Schwarzweiss-Cafe - Cafe in Darmstadt’s student quarter, the Martinsviertel. Close to university, serves good breakfast and huge slices of cake (you can also take only half a slice).
Robert-Schneider-Straße 23, 64289 Darmstadt
Sitte - Traditional German food, indoor and outdoor seating.
Karlstraße 15, 64283 Darmstadt http://www.restaurant-sitte.de/
Woogs-Cafe - Cafe with a nice view over the lake.
Beckstraße 44, 64287 Darmstadt http://woog.me/
Day Activities
221qm - A cafe during the day, a bar during three nights a week. Comfy couches and directly next to the university.
Alexanderstraße 2, 64289 Darmstadt
Jugendstilbad - Fancy public swimming pool with wellness area, sauna etc in the art nouveau style. Warm outdoor pool such that even in winter you can swim outside.
Mercksplatz 1, 64287 Darmstadt http://www.jugendstilbad.de/
Mathildenhöhe - Center of art nouveau, has an exhibition hall with changing art exhibitions, beautiful outside area including Darmstadt’s famous landmark the Fünffingerturm (five fingers tower) which is also called the Hochzeitsturm (wedding tower), a russian chapel, a fountain and mansions designed from the art nouveau artists. Currently trying to become world heritage site.
Rosenhöhe, Oberfeld - Park including graves of Darmstadt’s last royals, opening to a nice area of fields, nice area for running. There is also an organic farm with cafe serving their own products.
farm cafe: Erbacher Str. 125, 64287 Darmstadt http://www.landwirtschaft-oberfeld.de/hofcafe.html
Waldspirale - A house designed by artist Hunderwasser to resemble natural landscape and to change with its inhabitants (literal translation means forest spiral).
Waldspirale 64289 Darmstadt, crossing between Friedberger and Büdinger Straße Waldspirale (german)
Woog - Swimming lake in Darmstadt.
Heinrich-Fuhr-Straße 38, 64287 Darmstadt (approximately)
Night Activities
Hobbit & Hotzenplotz - Pubs close to university, drink a Laternchen, Darmstadt’s speciality mixture of sweet apple wine (similar to cider) and cherry liqueur. You can also get some pizza in case of late night working.
Hobbit: Lauteschlägerstraße 3, 64289 Darmstadt http://www.hobbit-darmstadt.de/
Hotzenplotz: Mauerstraße 34, 64289 Darmstadt
Krone - traditional place to go out, pub/ bar downstairs with occasional free live music, Friday and Saturday disco and live concerts.
Schustergasse 18, 64283 Darmstadt http://www.goldene-krone.de/
Malt Bar - A classic bar with a large choice of Whisk(e)ys.
Rheinstraße 41, 64283 Darmstadt http://maltbar.de/
Oetinger Villa - An old mansion hosting alternative concerts.
Kranichsteiner Str. 81, 64289 Darmstadt http://www.oetingervilla.de/
Ratskeller - Drink a beer in the old town hall while sitting on the market place.
Marktplatz 8, 64283 Darmstadt http://www.ratskeller-darmstadt.de/
Schlossgarten - Student Biergarten (beer garden), a nice place in the university castle to drink a beer on a summer’s evening.
Marktplatz 15 (official address, due to constructions you have to enter the castle on the north side) http://www.schlossgarten-darmstadt.de/
Schlosskeller - Party location in the basement of the university’s castle
Marktplatz 15 (official address, due to constructions you have to enter the castle on the north side) http://www.schlosskeller-darmstadt.de/
Day Trips / Weekend Getaways
Grube Prinz von Hessen - Swimming lake a bit out of Darmstadt. Caution: Part of the lake is a nude beach, in case you want to experience German Freikörperkulter (FKK, free body culture).
Heidelberg - Beautiful old town and leftovers from the castle, popular place to relax are the Neckarwiesen (area close to the river Neckar). The Philosophenweg (philosopher’s way) is a hike with view to the castle.
Odenwald - Hilly forest area which is nice to drive through by car or bike. Michelstadt is known for it’s old town hall and in christmas season, for it’s nice christmas market.
More
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sehensw%C3%BCrdigkeiten_in_Darmstadt (german)