Aschaffenburg Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Aschaffenburg Overview
Aschaffenburg is a large town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat. Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or gate to the Spessart
. It is also called the Bayerische Nizza or Bavarian Nice
due to its relatively mild climate for a Bavarian city and Mediterranean gardens overlooking the Main.
Although it is within Bavaria, the town's inhabitants claim to be Franconians, not Bavarians. This is consistent with the attitude of the inhabitants of other parts of Franconia, all of which lies within the state of Bavaria. However, Aschaffenburg was never part of historical Franconia, as it belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz (Mainz vacation rentals | Mainz travel guide). The inhabitants speak neither Bavarian nor Franconian but rather Central Hessian. The town is located on both sides of the River Main in the southwest part of Germany, 41 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Frankfurt (Frankfurt vacation rentals | Frankfurt travel guide) am Main. The region is called Bayerischer Untermain or Bavarian Lower Main. Aschaffenburg's coordinates are 49° 58' 26" North, 9° 8' 57" East.
Where to stay in Aschaffenburg?
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Things to See in Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg's chief buildings are the Schloss Johannisburg, built 1605–1614 by Archbishop Schweikard von Kronberg, which contains a library with a number of incunabula, a collection of engravings and paintings
Pompejanum, a replica of a Roman town house discovered in Pompeii commissioned by King Ludwig I. and opened in 1850
Stiftskirche basilica, founded in 974 by Otto of Swabia, duke of Bavaria, but dating in the main from the early 12th century on, in which are preserved various monuments by the Vischers, a sarcophagus with the relics of Saint Margaret, and a famous painting by Matthias Grünewald
Capuchin hospital
Stadtheatre, which was formerly a house of the Teutonic Order
Beautiful, historical Altstadt
(the oldest section of Aschaffenburg).
The graves of Clemens Brentano and his brother Christian Brentano (died 1851) and that of Wilhelm Heinse are on the Altstadtfriedhof.
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Aschaffenburg
Travel Insider Tips for Aschaffenburg
My aunt is living in Aschaffenburg and I spent a lot of time there. It is a great city!!!!
Shared by Melanie Perry, Feb 2010
Ich bin aus Aschaffenburg, ein sehr schoenes Staedtchen. Vermisse es auch ganz doll.
Shared by Birgit H. Barton, Sep 2009
I love A-burg! Lived there and had some of the best 2 years of my life there!!
Shared by Jenna Farrell Bump, Feb 2010
Oh I miss Aschaffenburg, a lot of shopping went on in that little town!!!!
Shared by Tasha Smith, Sep 2009
Aschaffenburg & Würzburg are beautiful towns. Aschaffenburg has a castle, that's a must see and close to Würzburg is the beautiful Mespelbrunn Castle.
Shared by Madlen Kosiel Tarlton, May 2010
One of my favorite places to go use to be Park Schönbusch, and now my kids love going there. Whenever we pick someone up from the airport in Frankfurt or drop them off (depending on the time), we stop at Park Schönbusch.
Shared by Katie Cuite, May 2011
Aschaffenburg
[ source: Flickr]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Aschaffenburg
Johannisburg Palace
[ source: Wikipedia ]
This important Renaissance palace, built in 1605-1614 by Georg Ridinger, served until 1803 as a second official residence for the archbishops and electors of Mainz. It features an art gallery with works by Lucas Cranach the Elder (Branch of the Bavarian State Galleries), the Vestment Chamber of the Palace Church with ecclesiastical vestments from the Mainz Cathedral treasury, the Princes' Apartments with neoclassical furnishings and the Municipal Palace Museum. One particularly unusual attraction is the world's largest collection of cork architectural models, detailed reproductions of famous buildings from ancient Rome.
Hours: April - September: 9 am-6 pm. October-March: 10 am-4 pm. Closed Mondays.
Admission: Adults 5 €, Concessions 4 €.
The Pompeiianum
This idealized replica of a Roman villa was built in 1840–1848 by Friedrich von Gärtner for King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who had been inspired by the excavations in Pompeii. The wall paintings and mosaic floors of the colourful rooms were based on Roman prototypes. Today they provide the perfect setting for an exhibition of original works of art from the State Antiquities Collections. The Pompeiianum is picturesquely located in a sloping vineyard overlooking the Main, surrounded by a Mediterranean garden with almond and fig trees and cedars.
Hours: March 30 -October 10: 9 am-6 pm. Closed Mondays. Closed 11 October-March.
Admission: Adults 5 €, Concessions 4 €.
Schönbusch Palace and Park
[ source: Wikipedia ]
Schönbusch Park is one of the earliest landscape gardens in Germany. From 1775 the Archbishop of Mainz, Friedrich Carl von Erthal, had his deer park redesigned in the English landscape style.It was completed in 1790 by garden architect Friedrich Ludwig Sckell. Architectural features such as an observation tower, the Red Bridge, the Temple of Friendship and the Philosopher's House, a tiny village and shepherds' cottages are arranged in charming settings with artificial lakes and hills
.
A further highlight is the exquisite interior of the little summer palace built by Emanuel Joseph von Herigoyen.
Hours: April-September: 9 am-6 pm. Closed Mondays. Closed October-March.
Admission: Adults 3 €, Concessions 2 €. Park admission is free.
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Aschaffenburg. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Aschaffenburg: Aschaffenburg (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Aschaffenburg
More about the History of Aschaffenburg
The earliest remains of settlements in the area of Aschaffenburg date from the Stone Age. Aschaffenburg was originally a settlement of the Alamanni. Roman legions were stationed here, and on the ruins of their castra the Frankish mayors of the palace built a castle. In the Middle Ages the town was known as Ascaffaburc, Ascapha or Ascaphaburg. Saint Boniface erected a chapel to Saint Martin and founded a Benedictine monastery here. A stone bridge over the Main was built by Archbishop Willigis in 989. Adalbert increased the importance the town in various ways about 1122. In 1292 a synod was held here, and in 1474 an imperial diet, preliminary to that of Vienna, approved a concordat
According to an online 2002 survey in Stern (magazine),[Stern 14/2002], 82 percent of residents living in the Bayerischer Untermain region where Aschaffenburg is located were satisfied with the place where they lived. This was the highest level recorded in the survey making this region the #1 place to live in Germany, based on several factors including employment opportunities in the region, educational facilities, public services, transportation, recreational options, shopping, cultural facilities/events, climate, etc.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Aschaffenburg Travel Guide special...
This Aschaffenburg travel guide provides you with an overview of Aschaffenburg, Aschaffenburg pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Aschaffenburg destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
