The Picturesque and Historical Town on the River Main
Miltenberg — a city out of cobblestones and half-timbered houses
Somewhere in the middle of Germany, you’ll find the city of Miltenberg. In the heart of the forest “Odenwald” is this place I’ve never heard about before moving here. Located in Lower Franconia in Bavaria this is the closest city to my current home.
You won’t find any skyscrapers or high-rise buildings in general. There are castles on the mountains surrounding the town and an old bridge with a historical gate is connecting the two sides of the city.
Just about 9000 people live in this place (I live 6 kilometers from the city in a fairytale village with barely 800 inhabitants). The river of “Main” is curving through the mountains and its shoreline is where this city originated from.
Miltenberg is where we do our grocery shopping, it has the closest fuel station, and restaurants we occasionally eat at with our colleagues. It is also where my husband takes his language course and where we went for our latest excursion.
We decided on taking date nights back up because it is a great way to feed the relationship with laugher and joy. But instead of just going to a restaurant we decided to park the car at the edge of town and walk into the city.
There are endless paths following the shoreline of the river offering breathtaking views across the city. Decorated in colorful flowers you walk already on cobblestones and see some old houses on your right.
Some houses have walls left which remind you of historical times where every city was surrounded by large walls protecting its people from enemies.
Deck chairs, palm trees, and food stalls complete the summer vibes on the river. You’ll see children playing, couples walking, and the youth hanging out.
A bit further down is a mini-golf court where currently Egyptian geese are cleaning up the lawn.
The river is for sure a bird's paradise with countless trees onshore. Children love to feed those birds but I am not going into details about why one should or should not feed birds but much rather show you the numbers of ducks, geese, and even a swan couple hanging out on the water.
A modern-day nomad on his houseboat put his anchor down in this lovely city to stay for a few days. Or that’s at least my story of this sailing boat giving off the smell of a freshly cooked meal being prepared in the inside of it.
We decide to leave the river banks and cut into the city. Some street art on a house catches my attention. Documenting how far we’ve come with engineering these drawings are representing history.
The clouds were moving fast this day due to strong upper winds and when we stopped at this massive tower looking up it felt like the tower was falling on top of us.
This gate was once the border of the most vulnerable part of town and was first mentioned in 1379.
We are entering the old city now following the cobblestones while most houses to our right and left are half-timbered and protected these days. They are not allowed to be taken down.
The town hall is in front of an open square in the city where a café is packed with people, water fountains entertain children in summer, and where life comes together in this city.
This hotel and restaurant in the middle is indeed the oldest hotel in Germany dating back to at least 1411. “Zum Riesen” has been operating ever since and is today one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world.
The hotel has hosted a few famous guests over the years, one of them being Elvis Presley.
The restaurant is offering delicious meals and good beer but during beautiful summer days, one struggles to get a free table. Reservations are necessary if you don’t want to miss your experience here.
Further down the road, another open square is inviting visitors to sit down for a beer in the restaurant or have a cup of delicious Italian ice cream.
A fountain located in front of these beautiful historical houses is an attraction for many photoshoots or refreshing stops.
Many houses on the main road leading through the old town are dating back to the 15 century. The year of their construction is written on the walls of those historical buildings.
Further down, the crowds disappear and so do the beer gardens. Grapevines growing on the walls and across the road are part of the wine country. A winery inviting you to step in and give that local produce a try.
On our walk along the river, we came past this sign of the old harbor or small pier naming the city of Miltenberg as the “pearl on the river Main”. After this lovely walk and months of living in this beautiful region, I can only agree with it.
I love the laid-back style of this historical town. I’m not missing skyscrapers at all and feel welcomed in the heart of Germany.
If you ever get the chance to visit some old towns in Germany you should come by here. Miltenberg is also a stopover for many cruise ships touring the river Main.
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