Wertheim – European River Cruise

Wertheim is a romantic medieval town, situated at the junction where the Tauber River flows into the Main River and is the other town famous for its beautiful wooden houses.  Apart from its idyllic location in the Spessart hills and on the confluence of the Main and Tauber rivers, there are so many things that make this historic town a popular place to visit. 

Wertheim Castle which sits above the old town and can be seen from miles away is the town’s prime attraction. You can get fantastic views from the massive watch tower which is approximately 25 metres high. The moat also provides an atmospheric backdrop to open-air events such as the Wertheim wine festival.  A gunpowder explosion in 1619 plus the ravages of the Thirty Years War turned the castle into a romantic ruin.

The Pointed Tower was constructed in 1200. It served as a watchtower and was part of the town’s fortifications at that time, which consisted of 18 towers and gates. Originally the entrance to the tower was 10 metres off the ground and could only be reached by a ladder. If you do get the chance to go to the top of this 36.6 metre tower, you will no doubt enjoy stunning views of the old town and the surrounding area.

Of the famous wooden houses, my favourite was the “smalteblau”, or blue house, which dates back to 1593.  Smalte, as I understand, is ground blue glass and was the earliest of the cobalt pigments. 

There are too many other interesting buildings to mention, but do keep a look out for one other landmark which should not to be missed which is the Engelsbrunnen.  The Angels Well dates back to 1574 and was built from local red sandstone. 

Helen