The picturesque town of Miltenberg in Bavaria, Germany

In En-Route, Europe, Germany, Our Journeys, Trip-Types, World Travel by JanisLeave a Comment

Medieval half-timbered houses as far as the eye can see

A red stone fountain in the centre of marktplatz surrounded by half-timbered traditional Bavarian buildings.

Marketplatz (Schnatterloch in Miltenberg)

Even the overcast day couldn’t put a dampener on the charm of Miltenberg. Colourful window boxes overflowing above you and I’d lost count at how many half-timbered buildings were standing proudly shoulder to shoulder.

Quick Links

Miltenberg was such a delight to your eyes, with so many beautifully preserved buildings, one after the other.

Riverside vista

Miltenberg is nestled along the banks of the River Main and has a lovely scenic backdrop of mountainous woodland. With its unique location, this means it stretches narrowly along the riverside.

A view from a bridge over the River Main to the old Miltenberg town, with the wooded hillside in the background.

Miltenberg on the banks of the River Main

I was actually quite surprised at how wide the River Main was.

Although today it has a modern bridge stretching across it, it’s the attractive restored Zwillingstor that catches your eye.

It stands proud at the edge of the town and creates a truly historic feel.

An impressive restored red brick archway supporting a watchtower above it, sits at the entrance to a bridge across the River Main

Zwillingstor on the edge of the River Main

A reference guide

I love nothing more than planning a trip and so often I use the DK Eyewitness books.  I find them  extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.

We used a previous version of this book to plan our Germany road trips, now you can grab the revised copy.


Multi-coloured lanes

As we stroll into the heart of this quaint Bavarian town, it gets prettier and prettier. The main street that runs through Miltenberg is Hauptstrasse. It’s along here that there are so many stunning examples of half-timbered buildings.

The cobbled marktplatz with its red stone fountain.

Hauptstrasse through Miltenberg

The beautiful colourful architecture that stretches all the way is quite astonishing. There are around 150 half-timbered building being lovingly preserved in Miltenberg.

A cobbled street lined with bars and cafes and St Jakob’s church bell tower in the background.  Outside one bar is a banner in the traditional blue and white check of Bavaria

Picturesque lanes

A cobbled street that runs through the centre of the Old Town of Miltenberg.  Either side are half-timbered traditional Bavarian buildings.

Cobbled Hauptstrasse

Hit the road

Discover more of Germany on a road trip like us, if your unable to bring your own car or are flying into this lovely country give Rental Cars a go, as they search multiple well-known car hire brands for the best deals.

Miltenberg to Frankfurt is only around 50 miles (75km).

Schnatterloch

One of the main lures along Hauptstrasse in the old town and believe me there are so many, is Marketplatz (Schnatterloch), the Market Square.

A red stone fountain, against the backdrop of the half-timbered houses of the Alter Marktplatz in Miltenberg

The fountain in Alter Marktplatz (Schnatterloch)

A half-timbered hotel and cafe in marktplatz.

Schmuckkästchen Hotel & Café

This lovely attractive square is incredible, the centrepiece is the renaissance Marktbrunnen fountain. Which is then surrounded in a triangle by so many well-preserved half-timbered dwellings. Many of these buildings along Hauptstrasse date from 16th to the 18th centuries.

It’s all in the detail

Miltenberg is such a pleasant place to stroll around. We continually keep looking up and pointing things out to each other, as the mixture of different styles of architecture is beautiful. The doorways and shopfronts are just full of character.

A red stone and blue steel art deco shop facade that is now an Outfitters.

Art Nouveau shopfront

A wooden art deco door within a decorative red stone frame depicting nature.

An attractive Art Nouveau doorway

A closeup of an ornate green door within a stone door frame in Miltenberg

Alluring Bavarian doorways

Romantic Road

If you’re looking to visit Bavaria, be sure to pick up the Romantic Road from Würzburg. You may recognise Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Neuschwanstein from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There are also the lovely towns of Füssen and Augsburg to visit.

Centuries of history

Wandering further through the town, there are plenty of local restaurants and cafés to tempt you in. One after the other teasing you with delightful aromas and tasty pastries.

A view along Miltenberg’s main Street lined with half-timbered buildings that now are home to quirky shops and cafes

Tempting Cafés along Hauptstrasse

One building that will undoubtedly catch your eye is Zum Riesen.

This is one of Germany’s oldest inns and dates from 1411.

The half-timbered Renaissance style that has been lovingly restored today dates from 1590 and was designed by the architect Jacob Stoer.

A restored Inn. The bottom half is red brick, the upper portion is half-timbered with blue woodwork and cream plaster.

Zum Riesen, one of Germany’s oldest inns

Stroll east along Hauptstrasse

The Altes Rathaus, just nearby Zum Riesen, dates from 1379 and is built from sandstone, which is stone frequently used in Miltenberg.
 
Today the Altes Rathaus is mainly used for significant cultural events. Its newer replacement stands a little further along Hauptstrasse.

2 wooden doors in the red brick building the old Rathaus of Miltenberg

Altes Rathaus

Ensure you walk the full length of the Main Street (Hauptstrasse), as there are beautiful buildings all the way along.

Pavement fountains in front of the new Rathaus, or town hall, of Miltenberg.

Miltenberg’s newer Rathaus

At the eastern end of the old town is the Würzburger Tor and a little stroll up by the side of the Rathaus is the charming Johanniskirche.

A tall gothic gatehouse at one end of the high street in Miltenberg.  The orange brick tower is topped with a grey tiled roof incorporating look out points and a clock.

The Würzburg Gate

Looking up a cobbled street towards the red brick  Johannes church incorporating a narrow Bell tower.

Johanniskirche

Miltenberg is reasonably small, so you’ll easily visit it in a day; however, allow plenty of time to discover all the little cobbled lanes and alleyways.

* This post may contain links to affiliated sites where we earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Inspired to visit Miltenberg?

Start creating your own adventure and stroll the colourful medieval lanes.

The open roads await, pop in your location details then Rental Cars will search well-known car hire brands and discover the deals that suit you the best.
Have a peek at the latest offers from Booking.com, our preferred hotel booking website.
Booking.com
The pin image of our post 'The picturesque town of Miltenberg in Bavaria, Germany'

(Why not Pin It for Later?)

If you enjoy what you see, and you’d like regular updates then join us for a monthly newsletter.

Newsletters
Our big monthly newsletter
Weekly round-up
Each new post - on the day it's posted

Share this post

Unable to locate Global Block : 59232
Unable to locate Global Block : 59232

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.