HANNOVERSCH MÜNDEN

E45, A7, 8 km east of exit 76 Hann. Münden-Staufenberg (north: exit 75 Hann. Münden-Hedemünden; south: exit 76) /9/

No fewer than 700 fine half-timbered houses from six centuries are on parade in this beautifully situated town. It lies embedded in gorgeous, green woodland wedged in between three rivers: Werra, Fulda and Weser.

This strategic position explains the large number of attractive houses. Along the main street, Lange Strasse, façades competing in beauty look down on the visitor. The citizens tried to outdo each other in fanciful adornments and show off their wealth. In 1247 Münden acquired so-called “Stapelrecht”, which meant that all arriving ships were obliged to unload their cargo here and offer their wares at advantageous prices over the course of three days. What is more, the freight would then have to continue its journey on boats belonging to Münden. Thus great wealth was amassed in the town.

NOT ONLY HALF-TIMBERED HOUSES

Münden is an old town and excavations have shown proof of a large society here already in the days of Charlemagne. It once had a fortress and the town was encircled by walls with watchtowers. Today only a few towers and some remains of the wall are left as well as a 13th century bridge which spans the river Werra. The fortress has been rebuilt and extended following several fires and the castle rising over Werra today is an imposing renaissance building which houses a local history museum. Here on display is some beautiful glazed earthenware (faience) from the 18th and 19th centuries, when the town was famous for its faience production.

At Marktplatz stands the Church of St Blasius, built between the 13th and 16th centuries and opposite the church is the grand town hall with its façade in Weser Renaissance. Take a good look at the chime of bells at one of the church gables, depicting the 18th century charlatan Doctor Eisenbart who “made the blind walk and the lame see”. This man has come to be a symbol of the town and pops up here and there. During summer they enact the travails of this much maligned doctor in the market square.

A walk through the town will present you with many nice restaurants, housed inside historical buildings. The choice is yours. There are also hotels a-plenty, but the church bells start ringing at six in the morning, so if you are planning a night out in one of the many “Kneipen”, make sure you pick a hotel out of earshot of those bells!

GORGEOUS VIEWS FROM THE TILLY REDOUBT

In order to appreciate the beautiful location of the town and the harmonious picture it paints with all those red roofs, it is necessary to take a trip across the river Fulda and clamber up to the Tilly redoubt. It is a high tower, named after the famous general Tilly who, during the 30 Years War lined up his cannons outside the town and gave the town wall a battering. There is a hotel up here, too, Berghotel Eberburg, beautifully situated in today’s somewhat calmer surroundings.

THE FAIRY TALE TRAIL

From the vantage point at the Tilly redoubt you see the rivers, hills and forests that close in on the town. Along Weser and Werra runs the main part of the so-called Fairy Tale Trail. In the 19th century the Brothers Grimm recorded the old stories told in these parts, which had hitherto been handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. This is the very place where Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Snow-white and the seven dwarves lived. And deep inside the forest, not far from Münden, Sleeping Beauty lay sleeping in her castle behind those high and impenetrable hedges. The castle is actually called Sababurg and is much more accessible today. In fact, you could treat yourself to a fairy tale slumber in the tastefully renovated castle hotel, which has been well and truly roused from its one hundred years of sleep!