Schriesheim is one of the many German towns that offers much more than what simply meets the eye strolling main streets. To truly experience all that the area has to offer, you need to be willing to journey up and down.
This is not to imply that strolling its streets isn’t lovely. From the plum orchards on the edge of town to the half timbered Old Town hall in the middle, there’s a lot to photograph and admire. You may want to play with the original pillories for criminals in the town square, wander through the Théo Kerg Museum, or go for a hike through the surrounding hills.
When you’re ready to go up, turn to the Castle Strahlenberg. Also known as the Rays Castle, it sits above the town on Mount of Olives. Though it is in ruins now, the 800 year old structure offers commanding views over Schriesheim, which is directly below, as well as out across the broader Rhine Valley.
When you’re ready to go down, you have two choices. The first dates back to Roman times. The Roman Cellar, which has complete walls, is located in (okay, under!) the New Town Hall. It was discovered during construction and has been preserved as a tourist spot.
Your other choice is the Anna-Elisabeth mine, which is more than 500 years old. It offers daily tours (closed holidays) in the afternoons and is a national show monument. For a really creepy visit, though, you will want to do Halloween in the mine, an annual town event.
The other Schriesheim festival you won’t want to miss takes you back to ground level. The Mathaise Market is an eight day wine and spring festival that has kicked off the first weekend of March for the last 500 years. As the first major festival in the area for the year, between 150,000 – 200,000 people attend for games, concerts, and amusement park rides.
