The Nice (Das Nizza) in Frankfurt - Mediterranean greenery on the banks of the Main.

 

The Nice (Das Nizza) in Frankfurt - Mediterranean greenery on the banks of the Main.

It all began with a small island on the north bank of the Main. The islet, called Mainlust, was separated from the city by a branch of the riv
er Main (the Wintermain). The sheltered location, the warmth-storing river and the favourable sunlight created a particularly mild microclimate, which was already used for bathing boats and excursion bars at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The first of these bars was furnished with Mediterranean plants in 1832 by garden designer and founder of the Palm Garden Heinrich Siesmayer. When the harbour railway line was built, the Wintermain was filled in. The result was a garden complex that connects the green ring of ramparts around Frankfurt's old town along the banks of the Main. Today, the park is about one kilometre long and covers 4.4 hectares. It was laid out in 1860 by the city's chief gardener Sebastian Rinz.

In the spirit of the colonial era, the park was planted with Mediterranean and overseas shrubs, the latter of which had to be overwintered in orangeries at great expense. From the year 2000 onwards, the planting was redesigned through skillful choice of plant species so that such overwintering is no longer necessary. Despite the extremely mild microclimate, winter protection is still necessary in some cases. About 200 species from five continents now adorn everything from yuccas and free-range bananas to palms.

 

The name Nice (German: Nizza) dates back to the time when the park was created, with reference to the southern French city and its fashionable life. In the meantime, there were even experiments with a sulphurous supposed healing spring, which was diverted from the western harbour area to the gardens of the Nice. From the river baths to a roller skating rink, the park offered a wide range of entertainment close to the city. Artistically, the "Nice" was immortalised in 1921 by Franz Beckmann in an expressionist painting entitled "The Nizza in Frankfurt".