Colorful half-timbered houses in Miltenberg historical medieval Old Town, Bavaria, Germany (atomdruid (123RF))
Along the Main River in Germany lies an adorable Bavarian town called Miltenberg. My husband and I were first introduced to this town on our honeymoon. As young, recent college graduates we splurged on a European river cruise along the Main and Rhein rivers. Other stops included Bamberg, Wurzburg, Heidelberg and Rudesheim.
My husband fell in love with Miltenberg, and I never thought we would return. There is nothing like a PCS to Germany to give you the opportunity!
For our weekend in Miltenberg, we stayed at the Hotel Brauerei Keller. It was located right within the heart of the Old Town, had parking, was pet-friendly and included breakfast. It was the perfect spot to see all the highlights.
Odin statue in the outdoors on a cloudy day (Kristen Thoennes)
If you are looking for a historic stay, you may want to consider booking a room at Hotel Zum Riesen. It is the oldest guest house in Germany. Even if you don’t stay, you can enjoy a meal in their restaurant. There you will have the opportunity to indulge in a variety of Bavarian dishes and beverages. I ordered the Sweinebraten, which came with very tasty red cabbage and knodels. The knodels reminded me of Thanksgiving stuffing and made my heart really happy. I washed it all down with a Radler from the town brewery which earned a “Frankfurt International Trophy” for “Best German Brewery” in 2024. You can visit the Faust brewery shop to pick up cases of their beer and other goodies or enjoy a meal at their Braustuben or Biergarten.
Another restaurant we enjoyed in town was Nuvo Sushi. The service was attentive and friendly, and the food hit the spot. I had the Peanut Dream with chicken. However, if you’re not a fan of peanut butter this is not the dish for you.
Sweinebraten, a gravy-covered meat dish, with red cabbage and knodels (dumplings) (Kristen Thoennes)
Aside from walking around the town enjoying the plethora of original timber frame houses, there are a few other things to do while in Miltenberg. We visited the Miltenberg City Museum for a glimpse into the history of the town. The museum was much bigger than I originally thought. Signs throughout are only in German, but the audio guide included with your ticket is in English and will give you all the information you may want while perusing the large collection of historical items within the museum.
Since we visited with our dog, walkabouts were a must! There are some nice trails around the Old Town that offer views of the Main River and the village before. One trail had informational signs (in German and English!) about the trees along the trail. Another was a barefoot trail. We traversed on a couple of trails but ended our walk on the Bismarck Trail. At the start of this were wooden carvings of Odin and Frigg, two people from German legend. The trail back to the Old Town was full of switchbacks and was a little precarious at times so if you are not that into hiking, I would not recommend it. Our dog was a huge fan, though!
After a little hike, why not enjoy some kaffee and kuchen? There are several cafes in town, but we opted to visit Konditorei-Confiserie Sell. As soon as you enter, your mouth will start watering from the variety of cakes and tasty treats in their dessert case. We had a truffle cake and a nutty cake from their regular menu. Both were delicious!
While strolling the town make sure to stop and honor the Jewish residents of Miltenberg that were killed by Nazis. Miltenberg had a thriving Jewish community from very early on. However, since WWII Miltenberg, no longer has an active Jewish community. While walking along Haupstrasse, we saw many Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) commemorating the Jewish people who had lived there prior to being deported and killed. From 2016-2018, 44 stones were installed in Miltenberg. You can find more information about Miltenberg’s stumbling stones at https://miltenberg.info/en/stolpersteine-stumbling-stones/.
Colorful house in town on a cloudy day (Kristen Thoennes)
Apothecary Museum in Miltenberg
Martinskapelle in Burgstadt
Mikvah Kleinheubach in Kleinheubach
Franconian Red Wine Hiking Trail
Baroque palace of the Prince zu Löwenstein
For a low-key weekend getaway, consider visiting the small town of Miltenberg. You will be enchanted by the timber frame houses, delicious Bavarian food and gorgeous views of the river.
