Michelstadt

Michelstadt is in South Hesse within the Odenwald region. The highlight of Michelstadt is its picturesque medieval town centre. Its Old Town features many timber-frame houses.

Understand

Marktplatz with fountain and Rathaus

Tourist information

• Michelstadt Tourist Information

Get in

By train

The Odenwaldbahn serves Michelstadt with trains running roughly every hour from the Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof. The trip from Darmstadt takes roughly 1 hour. Michelstadt, like Darmstadt, is within the public transportation network of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV). If 2-5 people are doing a day trip from Darmstadt, then a group day ticket (Gruppentageskarte) will be much more economical than buying single trip tickets.

By car

About one hour drive east of Bensheim

Get around

The town is very small and quite walkable.

Follow Bahnhofstraße from the railway station to reach the Altstadt (old town).

See

Timber-framed house

Schloss Fürstenau

Altstadt

• 1 Rathaus. The half-timbered town hall has been a city landmark since 1484. 
• Marktbrunnen (market fountain). The fountain standing opposite the Rathaus in Marktplatz was erected in 1575. A statue of the archangel Michael stands on a column above the fountain. 
• Schwiegermutterbrunnen. This fountain (literally the mother-in-law fountain) is the town's oldest fountain. 
• Alte Hof-Apotheke. The old apothecary is a half-timbered structure built in 1557. The ground floor is built out of red sandstone. 
• Stadtkirche. Late Gothic church - Choir: 1481, main entrance: 1490, bell tower: 1507, carillon: 1913/58. 
• Synagogue. Built in 1791. 
• Remains of the city wall with a gate and a defensive tower. Best seen from a park between Braunstraße and Kellereibergstraße. 

Outside the Altstadt

• 2 Schloss Fürstenau, Schlossplatz. This chateau is a short distance north of the railway station. 
• 3 Einhardsbasilika (Einhard’s Basilica), Schloßstraße 23. Carolingian church built between 824 and 827. (updated Jan 2016)
• 4 Kastell Würzberg. Roman bath and castra. (updated Jan 2016)

Do

Events

• Michelstädter Weihnachtsmarkt: . Classic German Christmas market, very popular and crowded. Late November until about a week before Christmas. (date needs fixing)

Buy

The town was known for its ivory carving, and a few shops selling ivory products remain open.

Eat

There are a number of restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlours (Eiscafe) in the Altstadt.

• Brauereigaststätte zum Deutschen Haus, Bahnhofstraße 20, ☏ +49 6061 3699. 
• Drei Hasen, Braunstraße 5, ☏ +49 6061 71017. Also hotel 
• Café Siefert, Braunstraße 17, ☏ +49 6061 3068. 

Drink

• Rathausbräu, Mauerstraße 1-3, ☏ +49 6061 5666. Also restaurant. 

Sleep

• Zum Grünen Baum, Große Gasse 17, ☏ +49 6061 2409. Also restaurant. 
• 1 die Träumerei, Obere Pfarrgasse 3, ☏ +49 6061 703333. Also cafe. (updated Jan 2016)

Go next

• Heidelberg
• Miltenberg
• Aschaffenburg