Top Sights in Limburg, Germany
Cathedral and Medieval, Half-Timbered Town Center in the Lahn Valley
Top sights to see in Limburg an der Lahn are its cathedral and medieval town center with half-timbered buildings - an ideal daytrip when on a Frankfurt Airport stopover.
Limburg an der Lahn has a wonderful old town with one of the best preserved medieval town centers in Germany. Narrow alleys are lined with half-timbered buildings and over it all towers a colorful Romanesque cathedral. Excellent transportation links make Limburg perfect for a half-day excursion trip from Frankfurt am Main or a diversion tour when on a long stopover at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA).
Limburg Cathedral – Dom St George
The seven-towered Dom St Georg (St George’s Cathedral) can be seen from the autobahn and railway lines passing Limburg. It draws visitors to this town and once there, draws them along steep alleys past half-timbered houses to the top of the hill for a closer look. Originally built in the early 13th century, this church is a fine example of late Rhine Romanesque with some elements of the impending Gothic already visible in the interior.
Although the church was stripped bare during the 19th century in an erroneous notion of what medieval churches should look like, the exterior was repainted during the 1960s in its original colors. The inside is even better. During restoration work, medieval frescoes were uncovered making three quarters of the interior decorations the originals. The nave is 50 m (165 ft) long and 21 m (68 ft) high while the cupola soars to 33 m (197 ft).
It is worth peaking into the Domschatz und Diözesanmuseum (Cathedral Treasury) to see church art and the treasures – some pieces date from the 10th century.
- The best views of the cathedral are from the Alte Lahnbrücke (Old Lahn Bridge) at the edge of the old town
Limburg an der Lahn’s Medieval Old Town
Limburg’s historical old town is easy to enjoy. It is not really necessary to look out for any specific sights – just marvel at the lovely half-timbered buildings dating from the 13th to 18th centuries. Many now house modern shops as well as pleasant cafés and restaurants making Limburg very much a living town and not an artificial or sterile half-timbered fantasyland.
Note the 13th-century Haus Kleine Rütsche 4 – at this house was the narrowest point on the important trade route between the free imperial cities Cologne (Köln) and Frankfurt. Wagons were loaded in these two cities to the specification that they could pass through here. Checkpoints operated on either side – no doubt charging for this service – to prevent too wide wagons getting stuck and causing traffic delays. The nearby Werner-Senger-Haus is also from the 13th century and one of the oldest restaurants in Germany.
The ensembles of half-timbered buildings at Fischmarkt – a square en route to the Cathedral – and near the bishop’s palace are particularly impressive.
- Excellent transportation links makes Limburg an der Lahn an easy daytrip from Frankfurt am Main or for transit passengers with long stopovers at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA).
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