The medieval town of Dinkelsbühl was the kick off to our road trip through Franconia. And we have to admit that little Dinkelsbühl has set the bar rather high.
We have to tell you that before our trip through Franconia, we had only heard about Dinkelsbühl once. But now in hindsight, having seen supposedly the most beautiful old town in Germany with our own eyes, it makes us wonder how on earth did it take us so long to discover this charming little town?
In this travel guide, we’ll tell you why we found the Old Town so impressive and we will share our best tips for Dinkelsbühl.
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1. Dinkelsbühl: The Most Beautiful Old Town in Germany
No joke: If it’s stated in the Magazine Focus, then the Old Town of Dinkelsbühl must be the most beautiful in Germany? Whether this is really true, we are not one to judge, but we can certainly confirm that Dinkelsbühl has captured our hearts! We took an immediate liking to this tranquil, medieval town.
It seems that time has stopped in Dinkelsbühl: Signs and business names are written in Old German script. Advertising space or building constructions don’t exactly exist here. The town is a work of art in itself – we noticed this as soon as we strolled down the streets after our arrival. In order to keep it the way it is, there are some given rules: As a homeowner in Dinkelsbühl, you can only select from a given colour palette if you want to give your house a new look. How bizarre?
2. Sights and Activities in Dinkelsbühl
The nice thing about Dinkelsbühl is that the biggest attraction is in fact the entire town itself – the whole picture. In Dinkelsbühl, you shouldn’t find yourself rushing from one sight to the next, but rather taking your time – stroll down the pretty cobbled streets and enjoy the sight of the beautiful half-timbered houses.
Cycling around the City Wall
There is a green-belt, which runs around the well-preserved city wall encircling the Old Town. The 3km route is easy enough to explore on foot, but we decided to rent a bike for what we had in mind – and it felt like we were stopping every hundred meters because the photo opportunities were just too good and kept appearing out of nowhere at every turn! Now we will briefly share with you our favourite places along the city wall.
Rothenburg Weiher (Pond)
If you are looking for the postcard motif as such, then start with the Rothenburger Weiher, which is a large pond. The spot with the Rothenburger Tor (Gate) in the background is one of our favourite places in Dinkelsbühl.
Past the Inselwiese (Island Meadows)
If you now follow the route to the east, you will soon reach the Wörnitz Tor and the so-called Inselwiese. We were particularly lucky, because during our visit, the meadow was a sea of yellow flowers.
Another small tip: In summer, the Wörnitzstrandbad pool is “the place to be”. Unfortunately it was too cold during our visit.
Bäuerlinsturm
From the Inselwiese you already have the famous Bäuerlinsturm tower in view. It stands directly on the bank of the Wörnitz and is the landmark of Dinkelsbühl.
Tip: rent a bike in Dinkelsbühl
The hostel in Dinkelsbühl houses its own bike rental. It is best to contact the youth hostel beforehand so that they have a bike put aside and ready for you.
Address: Koppengasse 10, 91550 Dinkelsbühl
View from the tower of St. George’s Church
You must know by now, that if there is an observation deck overlooking a city, we don’t need to think twice. Although admittedly the 222 levels pretty much took the breath out of us, we can highly recommend climbing up the church tower of St. George’s Cathedral. From up here, you have a view in every direction and we could have stayed forever gazing at the sea of characteristic red roofed houses – just beautiful!
Important update: Unfortunately, climbing the tower is currently not possible (as of summer 24)! But it’s definitely worth marveling at the interior of this impressive Gothic church.
Information about the tower ascent of St. George’s Church (Münster St. Georg)
Address: Entrance at the market place, next to the main entrance
Opening hours: May to October on Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 2 to 5 pm and in the Bavarian school holidays daily from 2 to 5 pm (best to check in advance)
Admission: 1.50 euros
Farmers Market at the Marktplatz
Every Wednesday and Saturday between 8am and 12pm, a handful of market stands come together and offer their products for sale. This neat little farmer’s market is located directly right in front of St. Georg’s Church. There is a reasonable amount of things on offer and is definitely worth stopping by. In addition to flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods and other delicious items are also sold.
Museums in Dinkelsbühl
Dinkelsbühl is so picturesque that we rarely felt the need to be indoors. However, if you are unlucky with the weather or are just after a bit of art and culture, then we can recommend the following three museums, all of which we visited.
Haus der Geschichte (House of History)
The Haus der Geschichte (or House of History in English) is the most famous and impressive museum in Dinkelsbühl. We were totally taken aback and would not have expected such an elaborate, yet modernly designed museum. If you are interested in history and want to know more about the past of Dinkelsbühl, then we can highly recommend the House of History.
Address: Altrathausplatz 14, 91550 Dinkelsbühl
Museum 3rd Dimension
As the name implies, this museum is all about optical illusions. The museum is privately owned and extends over several floors. We recommend the museum primarily to families with children.
Address: Nördlinger Straße 62, 91550 Dinkelsbühl
Kinderzech’-Zeughaus
Probably the most bizarre museum we have visited in a long time, is the Kinderzech‘-Zeughaus. At this point, we are going to quickly go off topic because most likely, you have no idea what the “Kinderzeche” is. Don’t worry, we didn’t either until recently.
The Kinderzeche is a historic hometown festival in Dinkelsbühl, which dates back to the 30-year war. Traditions are of utmost importance and the Kinderzeche Ausnahmezustand is still prevalent throughout Dinkelsbühl during the festival.
The innumerable costumes, which the inhabitants of Dinkelsbühl throw on during the festive season, are not only kept in the Kinderzech’-Zeughaus, but they are also brought up to scratch every year, meaning that clothes are sewn, shoes are repaired and props are prepared.
Address: Bauhofstraße 43, 91550 Dinkelsbühl
3. Food and Drinks: Our Restaurant Tips for Dinkelsbühl
Kaffeerösterei Maaßen (Coffee Roasters)
The fact that two caffein junkies like us, would somehow discover a place like Maassen Coffee Roasters, was undoubtable. In search of the best espresso macchiato in Dinkelsbühl – we landed here. At Kaffeerösterei Maaßen, they roast fresh coffee from all around the world, daily.
There are only a few seats inside, but you can enjoy your coffee in good weather outside in the very cozy and green courtyard. Conclusion: If you like the quality of coffee, you will love the Kaffeerösterei Maaßen.
Address: Nördlinger Straße 7, 91550 Dinkelsbühl (you will find it secretly tucked away in the side street)
Restaurant Deutsches Haus
We were able to enjoy an excellent, regional and seasonal 3-course menu in probably the most famous restaurant in all of Dinkelsbühl. They serve traditional cuisine at a very high level and when you take into account the high quality of the food, their prices are absolutely within range. We were also allowed to take a sneak peak into the kitchen and can say that the people here put a lot of passion into their work. We can highly recommend the restaurant – we found it fantastic!
Address: Weinmarkt 3, 91550 Dinkelsbühl
Meiser Altstadt Brasserie
For an outdoor seated lunch, we ended up in the Meiser Altstadt Brasserie. The menu features both traditional and newly inspired dishes. Meiser Altstadt Brasserie is one of the few restaurants in Dinkelsbühl that also serves vegan food. We sat outside on the terrace in front of the restaurant, but there is also a very cozy inner courtyard.
Address: Weinmarkt 10, 91550 Dinkelsbühl
Rialto Ice Cream Boutique Dinkelsbühl
We do not know if the Rialto ice cream boutique really has the best ice cream in Dinkelsbühl (since we have only tried it from here). But one thing is for certain: the ice cream was excellent. We never could have expected such good ice cream in a small town like Dinkelsbühl. Highly recommended are the flavours pistachio and hazelnut.
Address: Marktplatz 2, 91550 Dinkelsbühl
4. Our Accommodation in Dinkelsbühl
We stayed at the Hezelhof Hotel with our room facing the courtyard. The courtyard itself is beautiful, but unfortunately not freely accessible for hotel guests and incurs a 2 Euros entrance fee to visit. Although the hotel is housed in a historic half-timbered house, the rooms are unusually modern. We liked the combination and felt very comfortable. But it may be that the place feels a little too sterile sometimes.
On another note: to say “room” might be a little misleading. Apartment is a better fit, as we had our own separate living and sleeping area here in the Hezelhof hotel. The location could not have been better: you are literally just a stone throw away from the market square.
Breakfast is served in the opposite building called the Restaurant Luis, which also belongs to the Hezelhof Hotel. There is nothing to complain about – the selection was absolutely fine and the quality of the food was also very good.
Here you can book the hotel: Hezelhof Hotel
Disclaimer: Advertisement & Affiliate Links
This travel guide was written in collaboration with FrankenTourismus. As part of the “15 cities” campaign, we visited a total of 15 Franconian cities.
This travel guide contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something about the links, we will get a small commission. For you, this does not change the price at all. A million thanks from the both of us!
Have you ever been to Dinkelsbühl, supposedly the most beautiful Old Town in Germany? Do you have any further tips for sights, activities or restaurants? We look forward to hearing your experiences!
