Historic old towns

The Nice of the North is how many describe Wiesbaden – the state capital of Hesse. Dominating the landscape are elegant villas, spacious parks and the historic Kurhaus assembly rooms.

The Lahn valley forms a natural boundary between the Taunus and the Westerwald and is home to the picture-perfect castle town of Runkel.

This unique collection of cultural monuments was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004 and represents the desire of the people of Bremen for independence and sovereignty.

Historical buildings and a fascinating past await in the fortress town of Abendberg. Towering majestically above the small town, the castle’s importance is plain to see.

Listed buildings, medieval charm and magnificent Baroque structures – Bamberg’s old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.

The Industrial Museum in the old town of Lauf lets you delve into the living and working environment of the town’s labourers and craftsmen of centuries past.

Bad Neustadt an der Saale unites health and history in its own special way. A witness to its long and eventful past is its heart-shaped town wall that is still fully intact.

The earliest record of the small Baroque town of Allersberg dates from 1254. The market square with its impressive buildings has to this day maintained its Baroque character.

Amberg's historic old town is one of the best preserved in Germany. It is surrounded by an almost uninterrupted medieval enceinte, a defensive line of wall towers and curtain walls, with four gatehouses.

When the sound of music wafts through the evening air in the court garden in Ansbach, then one thing is certain: the festival season has begun.

Augsburg is the third largest city in Bavaria. During the Renaissance, merchant families – especially the Fuggers and Welsers – stamped their mark on Augsburg and transformed it into an elite European trading centre.

The baroque town of Wiesentheid is a real treasure trove. Reflections of a grand past are chronicled by numerous townhouses and the impressive Baroque ensemble comprising Schönborn Palace, the town hall and the Church of St. Mauritius.

The Baroque town of Schärding am Inn is renowned for its numerous, original townhouses with colourful facades and for its historical sites.

The monument town of Fürth certainly lives up to its name. It emerged from the Second World War relatively unscathed and today features more than 2000 preserved historical monuments.

The Gothic town of Landshut is adorned with an impressive array of historic monuments. The most important secular building in the old town is the historic town hall with its Gothic facade.