Bad Wimpfen sits in two parts on the banks of the Neckar. There is an upper town, the Wimpfen am Berg, that houses the current town center. The lower town, Wimpfen im Tal, sits on the banks of the river and is much older.
How old?
Well, ever since the Celts discovered the site it has been inhabited although most of the old buildings standing now date from the Frankish era. Yet the magic of the very old days seems to be forever trapped in the bones of the town.
A bit of it creeps out along the shops streets and in the museums. There’s a guardian angel museum and a museum of lucky pigs. But there are also the Hexenstube, or witches’ shops. The town has long be reputed to be a witches haven, and you’ll be entertained wandering in and out of the netherworld shops. ;-)
Whether there is any working magic for sale there is doubtful, but another kind of magic is available in Bad Wimpfen. It’s the magic of the spas. They have been operating for nearly 180 years and do wonders on aches and pains. Even the notoriously crabby traveler Mark Twain praised them!
You can soak your bones and then go have a look at the bones of Bad Wimpfen. It helps to be limbered up for this — there are a lot of stairs to climb at the Blue Tower. It is a turreted tower with a stunning view over the landscape. The work out will be worth it, especially if you have panoramic feature on your camera.
Other historical buildings to visit can be picked out from the top of the tower. The Town Church is a protestant affair dating back to the 13th century with Gothic and Romanesque features. The Nürnberger Türmchen is only about 400 years old, but you’ll know it by the red roof on the tower. It was a thank you gift to the town for help rebuilding the walls after the 30 Years War.
Most of the war-related material dates to the 30 Years War, as the Battle of Bad Wimpfen was one of the biggest and bloodiest fights. WW II left the town relatively unscathed, but if you like medieval history the historical museums in the old town will be a delight. There are imperial weapons exhibits and artifacts from digs to peruse.
But if you find yourself getting lost in the past, don’t forget to come out in the evening. Witches may or may not be riding on the clouds, but the sunset over the river is worth seeing.
Raise a toast to healing and relaxing before settling down to watch a view that has been appreciated for more than 2,000 years.
