Germany – Marburg (En)
Marburg is a German city north of Frankfurt. It is the home of Philipps University, founded in 1527 so it is full of life. The old town includes half-timbered houses and, on a hilltop, a castle with exhibits of sacred art and regional history. Bars and cafes line the Marktplatz square and the narrow streets surrounding it.
Where to stay
We stayed in the city’s RV park (50.803501, 8.77546 lat, long), next to the university and less than a 10-minute walk to the centre. It costs 12 euros daily, and 1 euro for 2Kwh of electricity. We put in one euro and we had electricity for the entire day we were there. We had no problem sleeping, filling and emptying grey and black water is easy and free. The plots are separated and of good size.
What to see
The Lahn River runs through this medieval city and its University (known as Philipps-Universität) was founded in 1527 and is the oldest of the Protestant universities in the world, this university has given nine Nobel Prizes, including the first in medicine, and its atmosphere is seen in the city. We walked and crossed the river, where you can see impressive city views with the Castle on top.
Then we arrived at the old town which is located on a hill and we had to climb quite a few stairs, its interior is a labyrinth of beautiful streets that go up and down, we went up until we reached the 13th-century Saint Elisabeth Cathedral that was built in honour of Princess Elisabeth, who during her short life dedicated herself to caring for poor sick people and building the city’s first hospital. Inside the cathedral, you will find medieval paintings and a modern organ, and we were able to see it inside.
We continue exploring the old town until we reach Market Square where there are a series of shops, cafes and classic postcard buildings, with wooden beams. Some of these houses are more than seven hundred years old. It is worth highlighting the Town Hall, built between 1512 and 1527. Its Gothic façade has a clock with the figure of a rooster in charge of marking the passing of the hours, in the upper part there is a viewpoint with splendid panoramic views.
What to eat
The typical dish is Auflauf or its translation “casserole“, a dish cooked in the oven with pasta or potatoes with gratin cheese. We had lunch at the Maxx restaurant, which was full of college students and the waiter spoke very English. We decided to share one of these Auflauf with pasta like short-fat noodles, mushrooms, chicken and a cheese sauce with cream. If you want to try the Auflauf, I advise you to share one for two people, since it is big and heavy.
After lunch, we continued touring the old town where we saw other impressive Gothic buildings and arrived at the river bank where there were cute restaurants and the best views of the castle.
The next day we went to Limburg known for the striking, painted Cathedral, with its tall spires, which you can see in the next blog!
