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Deep in the forested heart of Germany lies one of the
country’s best kept secrets, the ancient university town
of Marburg on the River Lahn. The historic Old Town,
with its narrow lanes, half-timbered houses and
countless winding steps linking one level of Marburg
with another, seems specially made for relaxed
strolling, thanks in large part to a painstaking
restoration programme that has received international
acclaim.
The greatest jewel of this beautiful town is its
magnificent St. Elizabeth’s church, the first pure
Gothic building on German soil and a treasure-house of
mediaeval art. At the other end of town is the
picturesque market square and Gothic Town Hall, while
high above Marburg – and 448 steps up, by some counts –
rises the massive castle of the landgraves of Hesse,
with its ravishing views across the rooftops of the town
and across the Lahn valley to the deep forests of this
unspoilt region. |
