Fritzlar

Fritzlar is a town in Schwalm-Eder-Kreis in northern Hesse, where narrow lanes run between half-timbered houses and stone towers rise above the rooftops. A wall of masonry encircles the old quarter, linking the surviving defensive towers along its perimeter.

Boniface founded a church and monastery at the site in 724, turning the settlement into a religious center in early medieval Germania. Over the following centuries the site grew into a fortified town, and its walls and towers have survived to the present day.

The cathedral takes its name from the apostle Peter and remains the focal point for local worship and community gatherings. Visitors can attend services or concerts that take place beneath the vaulted ceiling, where rows of stone columns frame the central nave.

The town lies roughly 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Frankfurt and can be reached by regional roads. Walking through the center on foot takes about an hour, and most points of interest are within easy reach of one another.

The town hall is considered the oldest continuously operating municipal building in Germany, still used for administrative purposes since medieval times. The Grey Tower, standing 38 meters (125 feet) tall, is the tallest surviving urban defense tower in the country and dominates the skyline.

Location: Schwalm-Eder-Kreis

Elevation above the sea: 220 m

Website: https://fritzlar.de

GPS coordinates: 51.13333,9.26667

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:09