Franconia Archives - Page 5 of 5

Magnificent Half-Timbered Houses in Miltenberg

February 9, 2022March 27, 2009 by Henk Bekker

Half-Timbered Houses on Miltenberg's Markt

A Medieval Town along the Main River in Bavaria, Germany

Miltenberg along the Main River has some of the best half-timbered buildings – many now hotels, shops, and restaurants – in Bavaria, Germany.

Miltenberg is a wonderfully beautiful little town that never suffered major war damage or town fires. Despite its lovely setting along a curve in the Main River, the main attractions are the wonderful half-timbered houses along its Haupstraße (Main Street) and the Mildenburg Castle ruins that towers over the old town. The half-timbered buildings of the Marktplatz (Market Square) form one of the most romantic settings in Germany.

Top Sights in Baroque Amorbach, Bavaria

February 9, 2022March 27, 2009 by Henk Bekker

Benedikinerabteikirche St Maria (Benedictine Abbey Church) in Amorbach

See the Benedikinerabteikirche St Maria (Benedictine Abbey Church)

Baroque churches, the Templer half-timbered house, and the Mutter Museums with teapots and the Sammlung Berger are the main attractions of Amorbach in Bavaria.

Amorbach in the Bavarian Spessart is famous for its marvelous Baroque churches and the odd Mutter Museum with its eclectic collection of teapots, modern art (Berger Collection), and coffins. The interior of the former Benedikinerabteikirche St Maria (Benedictine Abbey Church) is a Rococo masterpiece and the Stumm organ is the largest Baroque organ in existence. The Templarhaus is the oldest half-timbered house in Bavaria.

Romantic Moated Castle Schloss Mespelbrunn, Bavaria

February 9, 2022March 27, 2009 by Henk Bekker

An Easy Day Trip from Frankfurt am Main to a Jewel in the Spessart

Schloss Mespelbrunn in the Bavarian Spessart is an impossibly romantic castle surrounded by a wet moat. It is a popular day trip from Frankfurt am Main and easily reached by car.

Schloss Mespelbrunn is a true jewel in the heart of the Spessart. It is a Wasserschloss – a castle surrounded by a water-filled moat. Due to its hidden location in a quiet valley, it has never suffered any war damage. It is small but its location is impossibly romantic making it a great day-trip destination or a brief stop for drivers traveling along the Autobahn A3 between Frankfurt and Würzburg.

Major Sights in Aschaffenburg in Bavaria, Germany

February 9, 2022March 27, 2009 by Henk Bekker

Stiftsbasilika (Collegiate Church) St Peter & Alexander in Aschaffenburg

Top Sights to See Include the Stiftsbasilika (Collegiate Church) and Park Schönbusch

Top sights to see in Aschaffenburg in addition to Schloss Johannisberg and the Pompejanum are the Stiftsbasilika and the lovely English landscape style Park Schönbusch.

Aschaffenburg’s most famous sights are the Renaissance Schloss Johannisberg (Palace Johannisberg) and the Pompejanum. However, the old town has some interesting streets and buildings too in addition to pleasant cafés and outdoor restaurants. Although most of old Aschaffenburg was destroyed in 1945, a number of half-timbered houses and classical facades survived. The highest concentration is in Dalbergstraße. It is worth visiting the Stiftsbasilika in the old town while the Schönbusch park is worth the slight detour to the opposite bank of the Main.

Top Sights to See in Aschaffenburg, Germany

February 9, 2022March 27, 2009 by Henk Bekker

The Pompejanum Pompeian Villa on the Banks of the Main Rive

Renaissance Schloss Johannisberg and the Pompejanum Are Top Attractions

The top sights so see in Aschaffenburg in Bavaria, Germany, are the Renaissance Schloss Johannisberg (Palace) and the Pompejanum on the banks of the Main River.

Aschaffenburg with a population of 70,000 is by far the largest town in the Spessart region. The area was probably settled in Celtic times but the earliest written reference is from the late Roman period in the 4th century. From the 10th to early 19th century, Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz and the palace here served as a secondary residence. After the Napoleonic wars, it became part of Bavaria – mostly to prevent Prussia from expanding southwards. The main sights are the magnificent Late Renaissance Schloss, the Pompejanum, while the Stiftkirche and Park Schönbusch are also worth seeing.