Kaiserpfalz Gelnhausen

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Churches and monasteries

Burgstraße 14, 63571 Gelnhausen

King Frederick I, Barbarossa, founded the town of Gelnhausen in 1170. The imperial palace was also built at this time. Today it is considered as the best-preserved palace of the Staufer dynasty in Germany. Visitors can expect romantic ruins in the medieval town.

Welcome to Gelnhausen

Known locally as the Kaiserpfalz Gelnhausen, this palace was a notable power base for the Staufer king Frederick I, known as Barbarossa, and for the Holy Roman Empire. The 800-year-old moated palace is considered the best preserved and most artistically significant of all the palaces of the Staufer dynasty. Awaiting you in the romantic ruins are finely crafted architectural details that tell the tales of their time. In Gelnhausen’s charming old town with its winding alleyways and timber-frame houses, you can still sense the medieval life from the emperor’s era. Towering above the streets is the imposing Marienkirche church – the emblem of the town. Its décor, particularly the early Gothic sandstone rood screen, is testimony to its sophisticated construction. In modern times, the town’s history has been shaped due to it being the birthplace of the famous Baroque poet Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen and Philipp Reis, the inventor of the telephone. More can be discovered about these two individuals at the interactive museum located in the town’s historic Obermarkt area.

Touristinformation Gelnhausen

Obermarkt 8
63571 Gelnhausen

Phone: +49 6051 830 300
E-Mail: Tourist-information@gelnhausen.de
Web: www.gelnhausen.de

Although the former moated castle fell victim to devastation during the Thirty Years' War, it is nevertheless considered to be the best preserved and artistically most valuable of all Staufer palaces.

The finely worked columns of the window arcades form an effective contrast to the large ashlars.

The splendour of medieval history fell on the Kaiserpfalz Gelnhausen when the Staufers ruled in the 12th century.

From the crescent in the beautiful City Garden, the view falls on the Marienkirche, the city's landmark, and across the Kinzig valley to the Frankfurt skyline.

The Lower Market Square below St. Mary's Church is home to picturesque half-timbered houses and the Romanesque House, built around 1200.

Every year during Advent season, the fountain on the Upper Market becomes an oversized "wreath of hope" with messages and good wishes adorning its balls.

The synagogue, built in Baroque style, is the only remaining magnificent building in the former Judengasse. It has been a municipal cultural centre since 1986.

raditional festivals in Gelnhausen are the historic town law celebration, which takes place every five years, as well as the annual Barbarossa Market and the Schelmen Market.

The Catholic church of St. Peter at the Upper Market.

The interactive museum at the Upper Market conveys the city's history in an exciting way.

Listen now!

Welcome to Gelnhausen

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