Marburg

Marburg lies about 100 km north of Frankfurt in Hesse, on the Lahn river, and is one of Germany's classic university towns. Regional trains (RE) from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof via Gießen on the Main-Weser line take about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes to Marburg (Lahn) and are covered by the Deutschlandticket. Driving via the A5 and B3 takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. The station sits on the lower side of town, and the old town (Oberstadt) climbs steeply from the river.

The Oberstadt is a maze of cobbled lanes, half-timbered houses and steep stairways around the Markt, where the town hall and the Rathaus clock draw a crowd at each hour. Above it stands the Landgrafenschloss, the castle of the Landgraves of Hesse, with a museum, a Great Hall and views over the Lahn valley and the Marburg rooftops. The Elisabethkirche, among the first purely Gothic churches in Germany, was built from 1235 to honour St. Elizabeth of Thuringia and holds her shrine. The Philipps-Universität, founded in 1527, gives the town its student character, and the Brothers Grimm studied here.

A workable day starts with arrival at about 9:30 and a visit to the Elisabethkirche close to the station, followed by the climb up the Steinweg and the lanes to the Markt. Lunch fits at a café or student pub around the Markt or Barfüsserstrasse. The afternoon belongs to the Landgrafenschloss and its viewpoint, with a walk down through the Oberstadt and a stroll along the Lahn before an evening train. Total walking is often two hours or more due to the hills.

The best period is April to October, when the terraces and riverbanks are lively. During the university term, from autumn through to winter and spring, the town is busier and livelier. Weekday visits are calm, and the Christmas market is a popular alternative in December.