Hammelburg is not a cut & dry kind of town. Oh no, this is a town that was once home to the infamous Stalag XIII, made really famous by American general Patton for a failed attempt to free WWII POWs (including his son-in-law) and the fodder for the 1960’s TV series Hogan’s Heroes.
But, 20th century history is only a drop in the proverbial bucket of time in Hammelburg, this place has been around for centuries and is the oldest wine growing city in all of Franconia.
That said; what you’ll find here in Hammelburg is utterly fascinating. It’s a religious town, too, with twelve Catholic Churches in its ten districts. There’s also the Kloster Altstadt, a monastery built in 1649, a Chapel Cross Way with fourteen stations of the cross carved from stone, a military church, and a 14th century Gothic parish church.
There are also three castles in Hammelburg. One is Schloss Salleck that was built sometime in the 12th or 13th century. It’s now a conference center, a hotel, and a restaurant. Best of all, no aristocratic title is needed to stay or eat.
Another is the wine Kellereischloss, a red palace built in 1726.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the grey stone Castle Trimburg. The ruins of this gigantic castle overlooks the city. It, too, also has a restaurant that’s open to the public.
Don’t think for a second that Hammelburg is just castles and World War II history. There are over ten bicycling trails, over thirty different walking trails, tennis, swimming, and wine tasting just about every time you turn around.
With all that wine flowing maybe it’s best to book a room at the castle (or at any one of the town’s other hotels) and stay a few nights. It’s not like you won’t find anything to do here!
