This can be listed under 'day trips' for the casual traveler stopping in Frankfurt and with 12-24 hours to spare...and of course somebody who is looking for a slice of German life outside of Germany's most important city.
Try Marburg, then, a town in northern Hessen. First, take a regional express train from Frankfurt, which should take an hour, give or take. Marburg itself admittedly doesn't look like much when you coast into the train station. That part of town looks a little run down for my taste, so you will have to walk a little along the Bahnhofstrasse and endure the run-of-the-mill corporate shops you'll find in any German town.
The funny thing about Marburg is that you get to cross the river running through it, the Lahn, twice, within two blocks, which is good timing, because for a moment you are wondering just what it is exactly you're doing in this town and what purpose your visit serves.
Patience. Next, hang a left on Wehrdaer Weg. There's the church, the Elisabethkirche, now we're talking. Built in the 13th century, this protestant church has a long history of serving as a place of pilgrimage, but also a cradle of elaborate artwork. Also, just take the time and look at the handiwork performed at the main entrance. Isn't this what people come to Europe for?
It's almost blasphemy that I should dedicate only one paragraph to one of the finest churches in Hessen, but you need to remember that we still have the rest of the city to cover, and only half a page (whereas the visitor has the equivalent, as in a half day) to do it. From the Elisabethkirche, head south toward the Steinweg, a steep road that takes you past all the artisan shops and restaurants until you reach the 11th-century castle itself. This is the most prominent building in all of Marburg, easily visible from everywhere in town.
If castles and fortresses are not your thing, just walk along the Steinweg of the Neustadt, the new city, and admire the old architecture, the iron horse heads sticking out of the walls, and the copplestone street that narrows the further you walk up the hill. I walked as far as the Konrad-Adenauer-Straße, and took the path along the Lahn river back to the Bahnhof.
Do the math: two hours for the train, two more for the walking, two for the sites, plus a leisurely lunch or dinner. That's a good half day spent right there, no car needed. By now, you realize that the possibilities are endless in the Frankfurt region. There are many spots to hit (and counting!) and only so much time. Marburg is as good a destination as any in Germany for people just looking for something typically German...but would rather avoid the tourism and the circus that go with it.
Try Marburg, then, a town in northern Hessen. First, take a regional express train from Frankfurt, which should take an hour, give or take. Marburg itself admittedly doesn't look like much when you coast into the train station. That part of town looks a little run down for my taste, so you will have to walk a little along the Bahnhofstrasse and endure the run-of-the-mill corporate shops you'll find in any German town.
The funny thing about Marburg is that you get to cross the river running through it, the Lahn, twice, within two blocks, which is good timing, because for a moment you are wondering just what it is exactly you're doing in this town and what purpose your visit serves.
Patience. Next, hang a left on Wehrdaer Weg. There's the church, the Elisabethkirche, now we're talking. Built in the 13th century, this protestant church has a long history of serving as a place of pilgrimage, but also a cradle of elaborate artwork. Also, just take the time and look at the handiwork performed at the main entrance. Isn't this what people come to Europe for?
It's almost blasphemy that I should dedicate only one paragraph to one of the finest churches in Hessen, but you need to remember that we still have the rest of the city to cover, and only half a page (whereas the visitor has the equivalent, as in a half day) to do it. From the Elisabethkirche, head south toward the Steinweg, a steep road that takes you past all the artisan shops and restaurants until you reach the 11th-century castle itself. This is the most prominent building in all of Marburg, easily visible from everywhere in town.
If castles and fortresses are not your thing, just walk along the Steinweg of the Neustadt, the new city, and admire the old architecture, the iron horse heads sticking out of the walls, and the copplestone street that narrows the further you walk up the hill. I walked as far as the Konrad-Adenauer-Straße, and took the path along the Lahn river back to the Bahnhof.
Do the math: two hours for the train, two more for the walking, two for the sites, plus a leisurely lunch or dinner. That's a good half day spent right there, no car needed. By now, you realize that the possibilities are endless in the Frankfurt region. There are many spots to hit (and counting!) and only so much time. Marburg is as good a destination as any in Germany for people just looking for something typically German...but would rather avoid the tourism and the circus that go with it.
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