Miltenberg

Monday June 2

Miltenberg

After breakfast we had an onboard glass-blowing demonstration from a seventh generation glassblower who made a series of birds and other items, I think the items purchased by the passengers will more than pay for his expenses.

Miltenberg, is a wonderful example of a medieval town, following the 30 year war many towns were “broke” and couldn’t afford to build new houses with the result that the old buildings survive today.

Under the protection of the castle of Mildenburg (built about 1200), the town of Miltenberg started and it was first mentioned in 1237. By about 1379, the two town towers, the Mainz Gate (Mainzer Tor) and the Würzburg Gate (Würzburger Tor) framed in the west and east of today’s Old Town, which grew narrow and long between the river and the steep slope. Already by the Middle Ages, Miltenberg bunter (red sandstone which has been used all around Europe, even for the walls of the Kremlin in Moscow) was highly sought-after, with things such as grindstones and columns being hewn in the surrounding woods. Even before 1319, the Spital St. Peter (hospital) was founded by Archbishop Peter of Aspelt.

Until 1803, Miltenberg belonged to Electoral Mainz. This is shown today in the town’s coat of arms, which bears the Wheel of Mainz.  Later, Miltenberg passed to the Principality of Leiningen, with which it was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1806. After having become part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1810, the town finally became part of Bavaria in 1816.

Supposedly the oldest pub in Germany

Because of the small docking area in Miltenberg we docked in a neighbouring village and had a ten minute drive to the town, past several small villages with modern houses with lovely flower and vegetable gardens in the yards.  One village had an allotment area at the edge with little garden sheds and glasshouses scattered throughout.

Guide in front of Town Fountain

Arriving in town we were thrilled to see a long winding street with buildings dating back to the 1400s, many with the date of construction with the upper floors of timber construction, similar to the Tudor houses in England.  We were met by our guides who were dressed in medieval costume and were given a “treasure hunt” sheet with questions to be answered on our tour of the town.  At several of the shops we were given samples, cake, sausage and cold meats, Schnaps and postcards of town buildings painted by a local artist. 

Near the RC church in a small square there is the town fountain and around its column there are six small boys, five facing outwards and the sixth with his backside pointed at a house.  This house was occupied by the Town Treasurer at the time of the fountain’s construction who refused to pay an advance on its construction, so this was the builders way of expressing his displeasure.

Old Houses

After our tour we wandered around the narrow streets for half an hour before returning to the ship which sailed shortly after we boarded and forty minutes later we were cruising past MIltenberg and were able to view the town from the river.

Fountain Square