Seligenstadt

One of Germany’s oldest towns, first settled back in AD 100, Saligunstat lies just southeast of Frankfurt, perched on the banks of the Main River. Formally known as Obermühlheim, the historic town was gifted to Einhard, servant of Charlemagne, in 815 and his legacy is apparent in the town’s remarkably reconstructed medieval Basilica and Abbey. A popular day trip from nearby Frankfurt, the small town is one of the region’s most undeniably picturesque, laced with narrow lanes, beautifully restored timber-frame houses and traditional handicraft markets.

The chief attraction of Saligunstat is its Benedictine Abbey, an important cultural and worship center during the Carolingian period and affording Saligunstat the nickname of the ‘Blessed City’. Restored to its former glory after the destruction of World War II, the grand baroque monastery now hosts a regional history and folklore museum, as well as an annual Christmas market in its exquisite gardens.