Marburg: Take Two

The main thing I’ve learned about the town of Marburg is that it goes up, and up, and up. But a hike to the top is worth the effort. Most of the town, called the Unterstadt (Lower Town) lies on either side of the River Lahn where it is fairly flat, but the oldest and most picturesque parts of the town are on the side of a hill and called the Oberstadt (Upper Town). You go up a little and there is the Marktplatz (Market Place) with lots of fun shops, and then up some more winding lanes and steps to the Pfarrkirche (a Gothic turned Lutheran Church) and then to the very top where the Landgrafenschloss (Landgraves Castle) is perched. There are great rooftop views all along the way. Here are are a few we encountered.

The River Lahn that runs through the low valley area of Marburg.

View of Marburg from the Oberstadt. Directly behind us on top of the hill is the Kaiser Wilherlm Tower, which we plan to hike up to later this week.

Farmer’s Market in the old Marktplatz on a Saturday morning.

Everything looks very yummy, but a little too pricy for our pockets.

A view from the courtyard in front of the Pfarrkirche.

One of many drinking fountains in the old part of the city. Believe me, you’ll want a sip or two--in spite of the green stuff--when you’re climbing the steep streets here!

Up, and up and up we go on the winding, cobblestone streets. Argh!! My calves are killing me by this point.

Almost there--just another hundred steps to climb….

We finaly made it!

Wandering the gardens of the castle…

…put Penelope to sleep.

Quaint cottage in the woods…perhaps the home of the Seven Dwarfs?