Seligenstadt - Hanau - Philippsruhe castle - Budingen castle

Route: Frankfurt - Seligenstadt - Hanau - Philippsruhe castle - Budingen castle - Frankfurt
Duration: 8 h
Firstly we will visit to the city of Seligenstadt which exists for 1200 years already offers besides a medieval city center many more interesting things to see: the Carolingian "Einhardsbasilika", the former Benedictine abbey with an impressive monastery complex , the Palatium and the riverside of the Main.  Narrow alleys, picturesque corners, colorful half-timbered houses and impressive sights from many different eras are witness of the over 1900 year old history of Seligenstadt. Even the Romans left numerous traces by the Main along the path of the Limes. Next we will visit to Hanau is a smallish German city that has long been in the shadow of the bigger, shinier Frankfurt, just downstream on the Main River. What Hanau is best known for, however, is as the birthplace of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The famous fairy tale collectors didn’t live here for long, but they left their mark on the city. On the central market square in front of the New City Hall stands the Brothers Grimm National Monument, which features the pair. The Hanau Maerchenpfad, or Fairy Tale Path, is a series of sculptures dotting the old town that depict characters from the Grimm brothers’ collections such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Puss in Boots” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” During our visit you will see the bust of Count Philipp Ludwig II of Hanau-Muenzenberg in front of the Walloon-Dutch Church, the Marktplatz, the Freiheitzplatz, the Nordstrasse, the Renaissance Goldschmiedehaus, the Marienkirche and the old city wall. Next we will visit the princely Schloss Philippsruhe graces the bank of the River Main, which was built in 1701, this palace still stuns visitors with its beautiful Baroque architecture and its many exhibits, including original medieval furniture, fittings, pottery and paintings, telling the story of Hanau’s past and culture. Next we will visit to the Budingen castle constructed in the 12th century. The civic community developed out of the settlement of castle servants which grew up outside the castle walls. In 1330, this community was granted the right to hold markets by the House of Ysenburg and, shortly afterwards, was granted its statute of liberty too (in the “Freiheitsbrief”). In return, the town dwellers agreed to build a protective wall around the town which would help to secure it against attack. The New Town grew up on the other side of the city wall (which which completed in 1350) and remained separate for over three hundred years, until the ramparts and ditches between the Old and New Towns were partly removed. Enough space was created at the most important point of contact between the Old and New Towns to create a new Market Square: this Square, surrounded by half-timbered houses, remains the town centre today. After we return to Frankfurt.
Price: per person