Marburg is a small, marvelous university town located just north of Frankfurt, nestled in the Lahn valley. Having escaped serious damage during the Second World War, Marlburg retains an old-style charm, with cobbled streets and well preserved 17th and 18th-century Hessian architecture. Even better: Marburg is one of the few places where you can stroll at your leisure without hordes of tourists taking photos and jostling you.

Marburg: An Experience to Remember

While wandering through the old town, visitors can easily get a feel for what Marburg might have been like in the distant past. Listen for the church bells and soak in the atmosphere. Even though this ancient town seems to come straight out of a tour guide, it is real and very much a part of the 21st century.

Because of its preponderance of cute, narrow streets, the best way to see Marburg is on foot (or on bicycle, if you feel confident enough to ride with the locals). If you find that you are lost, ask a local! They are particularly friendly. Please note that you need to be quite fit to walk around Marburg: there are many somewhat crooked steps to negotiate and, as the town is situated on a hill, some of the streets can be steep.

Must-See Places in Marburg

The 600-year-old University
Philipps Universitat was founded around 1527, making it one of the oldest Protestant universities in the world. The university is also central to the town’s existence, serving as home to more than 25,000 students and employing more than 7,000 people (which is pretty amazing for a town of approximately 80,000 people). In fact, locals often quip that while most cities have universities, Marburg is unique because it is a university in itself.

St. Elisabeth’s Church

Built by the Teutonic Knights, a medieval German military order founded during the Crusades, this magnificent edifice was to honor the final resting place of St. Elisabeth of Thuringia, a Hungarian princess who died young (and was widowed while even younger), but not before she used her considerable fortune to care for the sick and impoverished.

Today, the church provides a magnificent example of Gothic architecture, and is absolutely worth a visit – even in a country like Germany, which has so many worthwhile churches to visit.

Take a River Trip or a Guided Tour in Marburg

If there’s a river that runs through a German town, there will be boat trips. Marburg, of course, sits on the Lahn River, so you can take a wonderful river tour in Marburg. The trips start at the bridge just across from the ancient university building.

If you aren’t keen on boat trips, you must see Marburg at night. Guided tours are available, although just wandering around the town is also a lovely experience. At night, Marburg looks even more romantic than it does during the day. Duck into one of the many restaurants in town and enjoy a leisurely meal. If you want to buy wine to take home with you, go to the Kulturzentrum Waggonhalle where you will find most things you require, with entertainment on offer, as well as interesting flea markets to stroll around.

Other Ideas in Marburg

If you are into spas, it may be worth you stopping at the Aquamar aquatic center, which offers fantastic water fun for all ages. If perhaps you would like to explore other towns in the vicinity, a trip to Rauischholzhausen might be just the thing: located about 15 km east of Marburg, it offers a wonderful park and another ancient castle, Amoeneburg.

Marburg also has an amazing Christmas market, which runs every year from late November to just before Christmas.

How to Get to Marburg

By car, it’s just just under two hours from Kaiserslautern, just over an hour from Wiesbaden, and around 2.5 hours from Stuttgart. Please check with Deutsche Bahn for plentiful train options.

Featured image by Olha Rohulya