Michelstadt, Medieval town in Odenwald, Germany
Michelstadt is a small town in the Odenwald region of Germany, where the historic center features timber-framed houses and narrow lanes. The late 15th-century town hall stands at the center of the market square, displaying Gothic architecture with two towers and open arcades on the ground floor.
The area appears in records from the 8th century as a Frankish noble estate that later became royal property. During the Middle Ages, the settlement received town rights and developed into a trading center in the region between the Rhine and Main rivers.
The town takes its name from Saint Michael, whose veneration appears in the local church that visitors pass while walking through the center. Many timber-framed houses still carry the original inscriptions of their builders, and courtyards behind the main streets hide small gardens and workshops where traditional crafts continue.
The central market square offers a good starting point for walks, from which most sights are reachable on foot. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes as the cobblestone streets are uneven and some paths rise gently uphill.
A Romanesque basilica at the edge of town dates from the 9th century and ranks among the few surviving structures from the Carolingian era in Germany. The building goes back to Einhard, biographer of Charlemagne, who founded a monastery here and housed the relics of Saints Marcellinus and Peter.
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