The chiroptical properties of planar-chiral and helical demonstrated how reliable theoretical calculations using configuration interaction and time-dependent methods in molecules without stereogenic centres and with well-defined structure, strain, electronic properties and chirality are combination with density functional theory today are and how useful the interplay between theory and experiment investigated by experimental and theoretical circular dichroism spectroscopy. We report on the synthetic and stimulates the development of chiral molecules optimized for this purpose. Even for large molecules it is routinely possible theoretical achievements made during the past 10 years in the field of rigid [2.2]metacyclophane propellers, as well as to assign Cotton effects to electronic transitions, to evaluate chromophore contributions, to determine absolute confi-in the area of [n]para-and [n]metacyclophanes containing aliphatic parts like adamantane or unsaturated bridges. gurations and conformational equilibria, and to discover intramolecular charge transfer effects. Results for carbo and hetero helicenes and helicene-related molecules like twisted phenanthrenes are presented. It is MICROREVIEWS: This feature introduces the readers to the authors' research through a concise overview of the selected topic. Reference to important work from others in the field is included.