Speyer, Medieval river port town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Description
Speyer sits on the west bank of the Rhine and features a historic core with narrow lanes and buildings from several centuries. Streets run from the Romanesque cathedral to the Altpörtel, one of Germany's oldest city gates dating from the 13th century.
History
The settlement began in 150 AD as a Roman garrison and later became the seat of a bishop in the early Middle Ages. The place gained importance under Salian emperors who resided here and sought to govern the empire from the town.
Culture
The name developed from Roman Noviomagus to medieval Spira, reflecting centuries of settlement along the river. Today residents honor the city's role in the Reformation, when reformers challenged church authority at an assembly that gave birth to the word Protestant.
Practical
Railway links connect directly to Mannheim and Karlsruhe, while an airfield south of town serves small aircraft. The old town is easy to explore on foot since many sites lie close together.
Did you know?
A 12th-century Jewish ritual bath lies beneath Judengasse and ranks among the oldest surviving mikvahs in Europe. Access leads down steep steps to a basin still fed by groundwater today.
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Speyer Cathedral
649 m
Technik Museum Speyer
1 km
Gedächtniskirche
322 m
Historical Museum of the Palatinate
580 m
U-9
1 kmOld Cemetery
787 m
Old Gate
143 m
Mariä Himmelfahrt
6.4 km
Jewish courtyard
446 m
Trinity Church
453 m
Salierbrücke Speyer
1.4 km
Josephskirche Speyer
323 m
Rheinbrücke Speyer
4 km
ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz
432 m
Domnapf
556 m
Domnapf
558 mCemetery Speyer
2.1 km
St. Magdalena
770 m
Rheinhäuser Fähre
4.5 km
Bademaxx
1.3 km
Heiliggeistkirche
330 m
St. Konrad
3.5 km
St. Guido
640 m
Stadthaus
512 mMuseum SchPIRA
425 m
St. Ludwig
253 m
Purrmann house
233 m
St. Bernhard
735 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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