Traveling Expats

When visiting Europe, most travellers always want to find the undiscovered gem, the un-touristed place where we can soak up all of the joys of the old world without feeling like we’re in an episode of “The Amazing Race” to be the first at the top of the tower or to get the perfect seat at the best cafe in town.  If any place like this actually still exists, it must be far away from any major city or transportation hub – right?  Well, no, not necessarily.  

Idstein is a snow-globe cute village that seems, in many ways, to be frozen in time, but is less than 25 miles away from the city of Frankfurt am Main and the busiest airport on the continent.  It is located on the German Fachwerkstraße (German Timbered House Road) which is a tourist route that links several of the main villages in Germany that contain a high number of the cute, old timber-framed buildings from the middle ages. 

We know Germany. We’ve spent over fifteen years living in Germany in multiple locations  (Bavaria, Saxony, Rheinland-Pfalz) and Idstein is about the closest place I’ve visited to the mythical “non-touristed old-world village” of Rick Steves’ dreams. We first heard of Idstein just a couple of years ago after travelling about as far and wide as possible (almost, we’re looking at you Schlweswig-Holstein) through Germany. We started seeing these beautiful half-timbered buildings from a place called Idstein in our Instagram feed.  Where is this beautiful German village that we’ve never heard of much less visited before? Turns out, it’s not far away. 

We arrived in Idstein by car and parked at the incredibly convenient and FREE Schlossplatz parking lot.  We grabbed our cameras and headed for the most obvious visible land mark, the Hexenturm or witches tower.  

The Hexenturm is the oldest building in town, it dates back to 1170 and is considered the symbol of Idstein.  It is possible to climb the tower, but you need to check with the Tourist Information office (more on the TI in a bit) to get the key.  The Hexenturm most likely gets its name from the witch trials that were held here in 1676 (about twenty years before the famous Salem witch trials in Massachusetts). 35 women and 8 men were accused of witchcraft and put to death.  It is unlikely the Hexenturm actually played any role in the the trials, imprisonment or executions of the victims, but it has still been renamed and displays a plaque to commemorate the victims and those unfortunate events. 

From the Hexenturm walk through the massive Kanzleitor (Office Gate?) from 1497 into the König-Adolf-Platz  (King Adolf Square). The gate building has served at various times as the count of Nassau-Idstein’s chambers, a guardroom and prison, torture chamber, granary and living quarters.  Today, the Idstein registry office is on the first floor where in the festive and spacious rooms marriage ceremonies are held. 

The König-Adolf-Platz is the heart and soul of Idstein. It was named after King Adolf of the House of Nassau who lived from 1250-1298.  It would be very difficult to find a prettier town square in a city of any size in Europe.  This square contains so many beautifully maintained and interesting buildings that it’s difficult to appreciate at first glance.  For that reason, I recommend that you take a seat on the terrace of the Café zum Lowen and have lunch or one of their delicious slices of cake and take in the sights of the square. The cafe itself is in a beautiful building that dates from 1350.  

One of the first buildings that will catch your eye is the striking and Instagram-famous das Schiefe Haus (the crooked house) that was built in 1727 by the mayor of the town militia.  With its four floors das Schiefe Haus is particularly tall for Idstein.  Deficiencies in construction have caused it to tilt and earn its name.  

Directly next to Cafe zum Lowen is the Tourist Information Office and City Museum which sit in the beautiful Killingerhaus from 1615.  This is one of the most beautiful buildings you will see anywhere. The striking green and white colors and the elaborate wood carvings are truly impressive.  When we visited, the TI was sorely lacking any information in English and when we asked if they had anything in English we received “leider nein” or unfortunately no for an answer.  Only after our visit did we realize that you can get the key to the Hexenturm at the TI which allows you to go into and climb the tower for 45 minutes.  As I understand it, you must leave your keys as a deposit before they will give you the key to the tower.  

Strolling through Idstein without a plan is an absolute joy.  The beautiful timber-framed houses seem to go on forever and many of them have the date of construction posted proudly outside, the oldest one we noted was from 1449. 

Strangely, one building that doesn’t boast an impressive exterior is the Union Church from circa 1340.  Travellers shouldn’t be mislead into thinking that the church isn’t worth a visit based upon the lackluster cover.  The interior of this church is simply amazing.  The arcades, columns, font, altar, pulpit and tombs feature opulent marble work.  The ceiling features 38 beautiful canvas paintings of biblical scenes in the Rubens school style by Michael Angelo Immenradt and Johann von Sandrat.  

One thing that struck us as we explored through the town was the blending of the ancient and modern worlds in Idstein.  You can find centuries old houses with solar panels on their roofs and electric cars in their driveways.  One square featured seemingly dueling Asian restaurants across from each other.  I wonder if they ate much sushi or spring rolls in the middle ages?  

If you want to visit a non-touristy, medieval town soaking in history or if your just looking for a convenient day-trip away from the hustle and bustle of Frankfurt am Main, Idstein must be on your list of future destinations.

If you seek further insights about this splendid city, we invite you to sit back, relax, and indulge in our YouTube video presenting our exploration of Idstein below.

Happy Travels!

Betty and Lee