Travel Guide Aschaffenbourg

Aschebersch, as its inhabitants affectionately call it, is a medium-sized town on the edge of the Bavarian world, closer to Frankfurt than Munich. In fact, it has only been part of Bavaria for a little over two hundred years. To be precise, the city became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1814. Its history, however, was first and foremost that of the Archbishops of Mainz. In the 10th century, the city was given to Archbishop and Elector Willigis. His successors built a sumptuous secondary residence in the town: Johannisburg Castle. Its size and opulence still bear witness to the power and prosperity of Mainz's bishops and prince-electors. The city's beautiful parks (Park Schöntal, Park Schönbusch, etc.) were also born of the imagination of these prince-electors. As part of the Rhine-Main metropolitan region, the city lies at the crossroads of many influences, and this is particularly reflected in the city's culinary offerings: in the restaurants, you'll find Bavarian beers as well as Franconian wines and Hessian cider. Aschaffenburg, which King Ludwig I of Bavaria dubbed his "Bavarian Nice", enjoys a microclimate conducive to grape-growing, so you'll find Riesling vines growing at the foot of Pompejanum. The municipality has no shortage of plans for the future: the banks of the Main are being redeveloped to make them more attractive and accessible. The castle is being restored to bring the princely apartments back to their former glory.