Schönste Altstadt Deutschlands (FOCUS)Dinkelsbühl

City Map GB

TOUR OF THE TOWNSQUARES AND ROUTESA walk around a cultural monument

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Accommodation & informationTourist ServiceAltrathausplatz 14D-91550 DinkelsbühlTel.:+49 (0) 9851 902 440Fax: +49 (0) 9851 902 419touristik.service@dinkelsbuehl.dewww.tourismus-dinkelsbuehl.de

DinkelsbühlSchönste Altstadt Deutschlands (FOCUS)

around

730: The settlement is thought to go back to a Franconian royal

court.th

10

century: Fortifications with mound and moat at the intersection of

two important trading routes.

1188 First mentioned in a deed as “burgus Tinkelspuhel” when

Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa made a gift of the town.

1274 Dinkelsbühl is mentioned in a list of imperial towns

subject only the Emperor and granted significant privileges in

following years.

1323 The city is given a cloth measuring privilege. Trade in woollen

cloth and the blacksmith’s craft are the keystones of its

economic wealth.

1387 The guilds assert equal rights with the patricians on the city

council.

1522 The majority of citizens become Protestant. In 1546 Kaiser

Karl V beats the alliance “Schmalkaldischer Bund”; the

Catholic minority is granted vital rights and St. George‘s

Minster (built 1448 – 1499).

1618 In the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648), Dinkelsbühl changes

hands eight times. The war years take a heavy toll on the city.

After being taken by the Swedes in 1632, Dinkelsbühl is

spared plundering and destruction. Origin of the historical

festival “Die Kinderzeche”.

1649 Despite the agreement on equality that laid down the equal

rights of the religious denominations, there is no end to the

disputes between the religions.

1802 End of direct imperial rule. In 1806 the city is finally

integrated into Bavaria.

1826 King Ludwig I of Bavaria issues a decree to prevent city walls

and towers from being pulled down.

from

1889: Artists from Berlin and Munich discover motifs for their

paintings in the pictoresque medieval town.

from:

1938 A Jewish community originates anew from 1853 onwards but

ends with the progrom night 1938, after wich all Jewish

citizens leave Dinkelsbühl. Today there are “Stolpersteine” in

front of all the dwellings of Shoah victims.

1945 In World War II, Dinkelsbühl is left unscathed. Since 1985 the

joint venture “Romantische Straße (The Romantic Road)” has

been run from Dinkelsbühl (population: 11,600).

Guided tours of the city for groupsMeeting place by arrangement

Lasts approx. 1-2 hours (visit to the museum may be included)Guided tours in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish

Max. size of group: 30 persons

Guided tours of historical museum “House of History”

Lasts 1 1/2 hoursMax. size of group: 25 persons

Guided tour “Dinkelsbühler Zweigestirn”Guided tour of the city 1 hour

Afterwards welcome by a sutler and trompeter, both in historic

costumes

Evening tour “Dinkelsbühler Dreigestirn”

Guided tour of the illuminated city: lasts 1 hourAfterwards greeting by the night watchman, a sutler and a

trumpeter, all in historic costumes

Historical reception at the town gate

Municipal soldiers guard the locked town gateAfterwards reception by a sutler and a trumpeter, all in historic

costumes

Trip in a horse-drawn carriage

Trip through the town or trip into the surrounding areaMeeting place by arrangement

Season: May – October, otherwise on requestHorse-drawn carriages for 20 persons

Night watchman’s appearance

Special appearance by Dinkelsbühl’s night watchman

Treats and mealsAldermen’s menu, guildsmen’s menu, knights’ feast in historic wine cellar and many more

Guided tour of the city (only in German)Meeting point: St. George‘s MinsterLasts approx. 1 hour

May – Oct. 2.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. (daily)Nov. – April 2.30 p.m. (Saturday/Sunday)

Trips in horse-drawn carriagesMeeting point: Schranne

Season: May – October

Round with the Night watchmanMeeting point: St. George‘s Minster

May – October 9 p.m.November – April 9 p.m. (Saturday)

“Schranne”, historic barn with stylish ambiente

Banqueting room (approx. 665 m²)Seating in rows for max. 550Seating at tables for max. 400

Smaller conference room (approx. 216 m²)Seating in rows for max. 180Seating at tables for max. 120

Vaulted cellar (approx. 84 m²)Takes max. 40 persons

All-inclusive offers for accommodation, food & drink, accompanyingprogramme. Reduced prices for stays Monday – Friday

Information & organisation: Tourist Service, Tel.: +49 (0) 9851 902 440

AprilEaster concert given by Dinkelsbühl Boys‘ Band.

The famous Knabenkapelle is made up of about 80 young musicians in historic rococo uniforms who enthral their audiences.

May – September

Sunday concerts in the town parkMay/JuneWhitsun get-together of people from Transylvania

May – AugustFranconian – Swabian civic theatre

Smallest civic theatre in Germany,

Tel.: +49 (0) 9851 902 600 www.landestheater-dinkelsbuehl.deSummer drama festival for adults and children on the romantic

open-air stage in the “Garten am Wehrgang”.Winter programme from September – April

JulyKinderzeche

This colourful spectacle (since 1897) is one of the oldest historicfestivals in Germany. Info: www.kinderzeche.de

September

Historic town festival: “Life in an old town”

Historic market and traditional crafts in the alleyways and on thesquares of the old town centre.

October / NovemberFish harvesting week

The fish farmers show fishing grounds; market with regional

products, fish specialities (“Dinkelsbühl carp”)

November � DecemberThe enchantment of Christmas

Delightful Christmas market in the idyllic Spitalhof. Nooks and

alleys are decorated for Christmas. Crib in St. George’s Minster(approx. 60 m²) showing a model of the historic town.

Christoph von Schmid, author of the Christmas carol “Ihr Kinderlein kommet” (1827)

Franconian-Swabian delicaciesFranconian sausage, spare ribs, beer and wine

Fish specialitiesDinkelsbühl carp (Easter carp, fish harvest festival),

Lamb specialitiesHesselberg lamb dishes (Easter, Aug./Sept.)

Kinderzeche festival weekRound sultana pastriesFun-fair with festival beer

“Romantische Straße (The Romantic Road)”Dinkelsbühl is the mid-point along the “Romantic Road”, an ideal

place for embarking on excursions to various attractions:

Würzburg Residence (UNESCO World Heritage Monument),Weikersheim Castle, the historic town of Rothenburg ob der

Tauber, Feuchtwangen Casino, Wallerstein Castle, Harburg,for more information see: www.romantischestrasse.de

Franconian LakesLakes: Altmühl, Brombach, Igelsbach and Roth

Opportunities for sailing and surfing

Hesselberg

Path for hikes and geological walksLimeseum (Museum)

Limes and Roman castle (field monument) at Ruffenhofen

Railway nostalgia

Trips with steam trains and historic trams along the “Romantic

Railway” from Nördlingen to Dinkelsbühl. Bavarian Railway Museum, www.bayerisches-eisenbahnmuseum.de

Museum “House of History”Altrathausplatz 14, Tel.: +49 (0) 9851 902 440 or +49 (0) 9851 902 180

800 years of History; Audioguides in English May – October 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Monday – Friday) 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Saturday/Sunday)

November – April 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (daily)

Third Dimension Museum

Am Nördlinger Tor, Tel.: +49 (0) 9851 6336The museum has exhibitions on holographs, optical illusions, the

invention of perspective, lights and lasers, 3D projections

and lots more July – Aug. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (daily)

April – June, Sept., Oct. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (daily) November – March 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Saturday/Sunday) 26. Dec. – 06. Jan. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (daily)

St. George‘s Minster

Climb the tower of St. George’s Minster

for a bird’s eye view of DinkelsbühlMay – Sept. 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (Friday – Sunday , if weather is good)

Groups must book in advance

St. Vinzent´s Church

Segringen, 2 km west of DinkelsbühlHistoric cemetery with impressive wooden crosses

Dinkelsbühl at night

The old town is a romantic sight when it is illuminated.

Join the night watchman on his round, find the automate for illuminating the old town at “Schranne”.

Stroll around the historic townThere are numerous restaurants, cafés and beer gardens.

Walk along the outer city wall (town park, fortifications with 16 towers).

Web-cam “stork camera” (see www.storch24.de).

P1 “ Schwedenwiese ”, Luitpoldstraße 13P2 “ Stadtmühle ”, Mönchsrother Straße 2

P3 “ Alte Promenade ”, Alte Promenade 10P4 “ Bleiche ”, Nikolaus-Eseler-Straße 18 (not for busses)

P “ Schweinemarkt ”, Schweinemarkt 1 (not for busses)

P “ Wörnitztor/ Inselwiese ”, Inselweg 3 (not for busses)

Attention: Parking in the historical old city about one hour (only cars and with a parking disc) (Mon – Fri 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sa 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

Sundays and holidays (May – September) the historical old town is blocked from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

P2a , Mönchsrother Straße 2

DCC Camping Park “Romantische Straße”, Kobeltsmühle 6

Altrathausplatz 14, +49 (0) 9851 902 440May – October: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Monday – Friday)

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Saturday, Sunday and Holidays)November – April: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (daily)Internet access for guests

Guided tours of the city, trips in horse- drawn carriages, night watchman’s rounds

Summary of Historical Events

For Groups

Museums & Churches

Conferences, Seminars & Festivities

Events

Specialities

Excursions

Tips

Parking and City blocking

Overnight parking for caravans

Tourist Information

Founded in 1280, the Church of the Holy Ghost

was built in 1380 (renewed around 1500; the

inside of the church was altered in baroque style th

in the 18 century). The enclosed three-winged

building with it‘s attractive inner courtyard was used as an almshouse.

Today the buildings house a boarding school, the municipal

theatre and still a home for the elderly.

Rothenburg Tower Gate (dates from around 1390), a

stepped gable decorated with flat columns.

The tar holes and the projecting construction with ist hipped roof and bays

are witnesses of the importance of Dinkelsbühl’s fortifications.

The defences on the north-west corner

incorporated the debtors’ prison along

with an enclosure and lodge. With

Rothenburg Pond, this is one of the

prettiest views of Dinkelsbühl.

Huge half-timbered structure. Built to be theth

town’s corn store at the beginning of the 16 century. Today it houses the

arsenal of the “Kinderzeche” (historical festival): weapons, period

costumes and waggons.

A remarkable half-timbered building (1508) that

was formerly a corn storehouse and is now used as a

youth hostel. One of the sections between the

timbers has been opened up to reveal impressively

how the spaces were filled in during building.

Single storey building with pointed arched windows

and hipped roof, first mentioned in a deed in

1378. Now a war memorial chapel.

After it had been damaged during the Swedish siege in 1648

and later collapsed, the Italian builder Antonio Don rebuilt

the tower in Baroque style in 1655. Further along, the

adjacent town wall with its numerous watchtowers guarded

the town. Steps lead from Segringer Gate into the town moat.

Originally built by town patricians in 1361 and known

as the “Stone House”. From 1524 1550 additional –

wings were built, and until 1855 it was used as the town

hall. Every year the Old Town Hall along with the lion

fountain and Wörnitz Gate nearby provides the

impressive backdrop for the “Kinderzeche” (historic

festival). Open-air theatre is held in the “Garten am Wehrgang”.

The museum “House of History” shows 800 years of Dinkelsbühl‘s history as an

imperial town (Audioguides in English available). In the besement th th

documentation about the prosecution of “witches” in the 16 and 17 centuries.

St. Paul’s Protestant Church (1840 – 43) built in historic

style on the site of the Carmelites’ monastery church.

It is thought that this goes back to an original settlement by a pious

citizen of Dinkelsbühl. The monastery was founded in 1290 by Carmelite

friars from Würzburg. In 1809 it was bought by the Protestant

community. Now used by the College of Musics.

Built in 1733 as a private dwelling for the

postillion, senator and later mayor Bauer. Used by

the municipal administration since 1855. Banner

with quotation from the town’s “Richtungsbrief”

(1837) which incorporated the guilds in the town

regiment. On his journey to Nuremberg, Johann

Wolfgang von Goethe dined at the Drei Mohren” “

( Three Moors Inn”) opposite.“

There are five magnificent gabled buildings (dating from around 1600) on the Wine

Market: the former Aldermen’s Inn”( Gustav-Adolf-Haus”) with it‘s dainty domed “ “

tower roof, once a weighing house where important persons such as Emperor Karl V

(1546) and King Gustav Adolf of Sweden (1632) stayed; a patrician house with

stepped gable (now Zur Glocke”); the Deutsches Haus” with one of the most “ “

beautiful late Renaissance facades and decorative statues – Bacchus, the god of wine

and frivolity can be seen sitting over the openings for the hoists; barn with curved

gable decorated with obelisks – this long building ”Schranne” was a corn storehouse

and one of the municipal trading places.

thPicturesque inner courtyard (16 century) with three-storey wooden gallery, lavishly decorated with

flowers and vines. Building now transformed into an

hotel; entry to the courtyard through

the lobby.

Originally called “Tewtscher Hof (around 1350) and ”

situated next to the almshouse. When the town was

extended in 1390 it was moved to it‘s current

position. Newer building in Baroque style (1764).

Worth seeing: valuable Rocaille cartouche on the gable, rococo chapel with

intricate stucco.

Famous landmark of the town on the banks

of the Wörnitz. Characteristic: the half-

timbered storey and the steeply hipped th

saddle roof (16 century). Named after the tower guard and tanner Hans Bäuerlin.

Nördlingen Gate (around 1400): stepped gable

decorated with shell shapes dating from th

the 16 century. Tar holes in the vaults. Town mill built after Emperor Karl IV had

granted Dinkelsbühl a privilege to run two mills. thThe municipal mill (14 century) that is built like a fortification, with a moat,

a parapet and crenels, is reminiscent of a moated castle.

Now houses the Third Dimension Museum, showing how Man has been

trying since medieval times to reconstruct space in perspective. Cabbage

beds in front of Nördlingen Gate (twenty plots), let since the middle of the th

19 century to equal numbers of Catholic and Protestant citizens.

Wörnitz Gate with its rounded stone blocks from

the time of the Staufers is the oldest of the four city

gates. The tower was built higher at the end of the th

14 century. Renaissance gable with bell tower th

dates from the 16 century. The coat of arms of the

free city of Dinkelsbühl shows three ears of golden

corn on three hills. Next to it the imperial coat of

arms indicating direct rule by the Emperor.

One of the most beautiful wide-aisled late Gothic churches in

South Germany, built 1448 – 1499 to plans by Nikolaus Eseler and

incorporating a Romantic tower porch (1220 – 30). Inside eleven

pairs of columns support a vaulted roof with an intricate pattern

of stars. Neo-Gothic high altar (1892), with shrine depicting

numerous figures (dates from around 1490, crucifixion scene).

Highly decorated side altars: St. Sebastian’s Altar (around 1520) and Holy th

Trinity Altar (around 1500). In the 17 century the famous Pièta (depiction

of Mary) on the canopied. Altar (around 1490) was visited by many pilgrims. th

Worth seeing: font decorated with lions (15 century); tablet with the ten

commandments (around 1520); stonework of the “pretzel” window in the

south choir, donated by the bakers’ guild. Memorial to Christoph von

Schmid, author of many children books.

Rothenburger Gate

Debtors’ Prison &Park Caretaker’s Lodge

Corn Storehouse next to the Old Yard

Corn Storehouse / Youth Hostel

Chapel of the Magi

Segringer Gate

Deutschordensschloss

Nördlingen Gate / Town Mill

Bäuerlin Tower

Old Town Hall Carmelite Monastery

Wine Market

HezelhofNew Town Hall

Wörnitz Gate

City tour of Dinkelsbühl

St. George’s Minster

Almshouse

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