Bretten, Administrative town in Karlsruhe district, Germany
Bretten is an administrative town in the Karlsruhe district of Baden-Württemberg, situated between Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, and Stuttgart in the Kraichgau region. The municipality covers ten subdivisions at roughly 188 meters above sea level and features half-timbered buildings in its historic center.
The settlement was first recorded as villa breteheim in the Lorsch codex during 767. The community received formal town rights in 1254 and developed into a regional trade center over the following centuries.
The Peter and Paul Festival draws 80,000 visitors to Bretten annually, making it the largest celebration in the Baden-Württemberg municipality.
The railway station sits on the Württemberg Western line and offers connections to Stuttgart and Heidelberg every two hours. The town center is easy to explore on foot and most historic buildings are publicly accessible.
Philipp Melanchthon, who shaped Protestant education as a reformer and humanist, was born here in 1497. His birthplace still stands in the town center today and recalls his theological work alongside Martin Luther.
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