Between vineyards, forest and the romantic Main valley lies the gateway to Spessart and Odenwald. At the medieval half-timbered town of Miltenberg, I met my sister and husband to have lunch at the Oldest Guesthouse and Hotel “Zum Riesen”
Nestled between Greinberg and Main, I experienced the unique atmosphere from the oldest part of the city. In the historic Schwarzviertel, I could experience the wealth and former importance of Miltenberg. Most visitors still recognize the magnificent half-timbered buildings, which are unparalleled in Germany.
Miltenberg is a stop on route of the River cruise ships on the Main. We saw the tourists flocking into town to do their souvenir shopping. Later in the evening, after all the passengers are back on the ship in their cabins, we found the town remarkable quiet
Here, on the southwestern tip of the Mainviertel, the idyllic course of the river Main, characterizes the landscape. The city of Miltenberg looks back on 3,500 years of proud history and is still lively and young.
“Zum Riesen” or in English “The Giant”, the oldest Guesthouse and Hotel in Miltenberg
How old the Giant is exactly, we don’t know! It was first officially recognized and mentioned in 1411. There are some logical explanations that have not been proven and are still thought provoking. The giant is the only solitary secular building in Miltenberg, the Riesengasse is the only street that meets the main street at a 45 ° angle.
Perhaps even before the city was founded, “Zum Riesen” was a Country Inn on the great and ancient trade route on which the Celts traded Greek wine long before the Romans.
The Inn offered its guests convenience and comfort. The most striking thing at the time was the possibility of entering the Riesen Guesthouse through one of the three gates. Noble gentlemen could drive their carriages into the Riesen and get off their carriage protected without dirtying their shoes. There, the horses were taken care off. The front of the entrance hall was painted with a large St. Christophorus. Back then the Guest rooms were on the first floor.
From traditional Inns and “Häckerwirtschaften”, which serve hearty snacks, cozy cafes to fine cuisine – in Miltenberg every connoisseur gets his money’s worth.
There was a Fräuleinshaus in Riesengasse, with a red lantern at the entrance and an underground passage called “Dell Amore” for the Fräuleins. The Kings, Emperors and Dukes and discreetly the Bishops visited this “Freudenhaus”.
The view from the Defense Castle Mildenburg
The Mildenburg, which is the backdrop to an incomparable open-air theater every summer, towers above it all. Since July 2011, the beautifully restored castle houses the Museum “Burg Miltenberg”, in which icons and contemporary works of art present themselves in a tense dialogue.
You can take the Franconian Red Wine Trail, do a parachute jump over the slopes of the Odenwald, or explore more than 500 million years of fascinating geology in the UNESCO Geo-Nature Park.
Click on the pictures below to enlarge
