Medieval German Jewel

Place to Stay:

Grimmelhausen-Hotel Schmidtgasse 12 06051/92 42 0

The owner was a friendly woman who carried our bags up 3 floors to a rear room with a lovely view of the mountains (she didn't even get angry when we accidentally dropped a leather-bound menu out of the window). The cost of the room was reasonable (.00/ 2 single beds) and included a breakfast of rolls, lunchmeat and eggs if you were up early enough.

The Grimmelhausen is just a half block from the lower market (you will need to park there)and a short walk from any of the other sights. Overall, a relaxing, friendly and reasonable place to stay.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Park your car and wander!

As you travel up toward the Lower Market on Schmidtgasse, you could easily pass a wooden door and the Grimmelhausen-Hotel. The owner is a friendly woman who insisted on carrying our bags to our third floor room.

The halls were narrow and dark paneled but our room was bright and airy.The large windows opened up to a view of the church steeple and the hills behind the town. The steeple is spotlighted at night and we could watch the mist move through the hills in the morning.

The two single beds were wide and comfortable. The bathroom was nicely decorated and immaculate. Dinner is not provided but breakfast is and consists of typical German B&B fare of cold cuts, rolls, coffee and tea. The breakfast room looked like an old pub and contained widely spaced tables with bright flower arrangements.

The Grimmelhausen-Hotel is an affordable, convenient and comfortable place to stay when visiting Gelnhausen.(note:parking 1/2 block away at the Lower Market).

The Gasthaus Baurat is nestled behind the Upper Market. Its patio is surrounded by hanging flowers and the inside is a charming pub/restaurant. The owner/waiter will seat you in one of the six tables (there were only two available when we arrived) and hand you your menu (in German). He does not speak much English but will try to assist however he can. There were beef, veal and fish dishes. The steak that I ordered was marinated in a delicious pepper sauce.

The restaurant had a number of beers on tap including a heffeweisen and pilsner, as well as a limited choice of wine.

The chocolate concoction that we ordered for dessert was fabulous. Luckily the town is so easy to wander to walk off a wonderful meal.

Just down the hill from the Untermarkt in Gelnhausen is a small section known as the Kaiserplatz. It was in this area that Barbarossa (Frederich the First or Red Beard), built his imperial castle in the last quarter of the 12th century. It is the best preserved of its kind in Germany. The original old town itself is made up of a few streets lined with quaint half timbered houses. The streets are cobbled and flower boxes decorate the tiny homes. The Kaiserplatz is located on the Kinzig River and is entered by a single lane city gate (much like those found in York or Salisbury, England). It is a peaceful area and not far from the main part of town.