Michelstadt and the Odenwald

Michelstadt lies about 55 km southeast of Frankfurt in the Odenwald region of Hesse, reached in around an hour on the direct Odenwaldbahn regional train, or about 55 minutes by car via the A5 and B45. A morning arrival works well, since the old town is compact and the afternoon is best reserved for a walk into the surrounding Odenwald hills. The day typically opens at the Marktplatz, centered on the distinctive 15th-century timber-framed town hall raised on wooden stilts, one of the most photographed half-timbered buildings in the region, followed by a stroll through the surrounding lanes of similarly aged houses. The Kellerei, a former electoral cellar building, and the nearby Einhardsbasilika in Steinbach are short additional stops for visitors interested in medieval history. After covering the old town by late morning, the afternoon suits a short hike into the forested Odenwald hills just beyond the town, following marked trails through beech woodland, with the Odenwald's rolling terrain offering easy loop walks of an hour or two. Food and rest stops include half-timbered inns on the Marktplatz serving regional Odenwald dishes such as game and mushroom specialties in autumn. Late spring through autumn is the best season, when the Odenwald's hiking trails are clear and dry; winter visits can still cover the old town but the forest paths turn muddy.