Memmingen's sights: Medieval flair in the Unterallgäu

Travel back in time to Memmingen: the town owes its local festival - the Fishermen's Day - to the stream that meanders through the medieval alleyways. The historic district town offers numerous historical attractions such as gates and towers. There is an adventure rally for families. Travel relaxed and inexpensively with the Bayern-Ticket or the Deutschland-Ticket.

Let's go to the medieval town of Memmingen! The exciting journey begins at the railway station, where you will come across an unusual bus stop. As part of an art project, pupils from Vöhlin-Gymnasium have transformed a bus shelter into the famous platform 9¾ from the Harry Potter world. With a luggage trolley that appears to drive through the wall and an imaginative design, the waiting area is a real eye-catcher.

The Kramer guild at the Weinmarkt is just under five minutes' walk from the station. This is where the 12 Articles - one of the first declarations of human rights in Europe - were written down almost 500 years ago. Turn right from Bahnhofstraße onto Maximilianstraße and cross Kramerstraße after around 350 metres. From here, continue straight ahead until you discover the legendary, listed building with the eye-catching mural on the right-hand side. The motif of this sight in Memmingen illustrates the historic moment when the 12 Articles were officially proclaimed.

Animal Memmingen: Storks on the rooftops and fish in the centre of town

If you would like to learn more about this historic event, you can find out more about the background to March 1525 at the "Stadt der Freiheitsrechte" information point opposite the Kramerzunft. Afterwards, continue straight ahead onto Roßmarkt. It merges seamlessly into Schweizerberg street. If you walk past the yellow Schnabelhaus, it's worth taking a look up: High above the rooftops, there are two animal inhabitants to marvel at from February to the end of August: a nest with two storks, which have regularly chosen the chimney as their centre of life since 2012. Other pairs of storks also feel at home in Memmingen and regularly visit the town to breed.

The town stream meanders through the winding alleyways of the tranquil town. It lends the townscape an additional charm, is clearly one of Memmingen's attractions and is somewhat reminiscent of Venice, especially in the summer months. The canal is also home to three to four thousand trout, which are fished out by locals with landing nets once a year as part of the traditional Fishermen's Day. The most successful ones are crowned Fisher King or Fisher Queen. This entertaining spectacle is the largest local festival in Memmingen and attracts numerous visitors to the Unterallgäu.

Now follow the next junction to the right onto Martin-Luther-Platz. The imposing Fuggerbau awaits you there. The simple façade design impresses with its imposing dimensions and was built in 1581 by the famous Augsburg merchant family Fugger as a residence and warehouse. During the Thirty Years' War, the commander Albrecht von Wallenstein and the Swedish king Gustav Adolf resided here for a time. From the inner courtyard, you can watch the storks or take a look at St Martin's Church. The park behind the Fugger building with the equestrian statue of Duke Welf VI invites you to linger.

A museum on the highest building in the city

The discovery tour continues to the main church of St Martin. The church is one of Memmingen's sights. It was built between 1325 and 1500, making it one of the oldest buildings in the town. The medieval basilica impresses with its numerous well-preserved works of art, such as the elaborately carved Gothic choir stalls and the well-preserved frescoes. The highlight, in the truest sense of the word, is the church tower. It measures 66 metres and is the tallest building in the city. Guided tours of the tower are offered from May to October. As you climb the 240 steps, you will learn interesting facts about the tower and the daily work of the tower keepers. Once at the top, a unique view over the rooftops of Memmingen's old town awaits you. On a clear day, you can even catch a glimpse of the Zugspitze. The chamber of the former tower guard has been converted into a small museum and houses numerous historical artefacts from this period.

Time out in French and cultural treasures on the market square

As soon as you have solid ground under your feet again, turn right from Herrenstraße onto Zangenmeisterstraße. After 200 metres, treat yourself to a short break at the Café and Bistro Bienvenue on the way to the next sight in the direction of the market square: this is where French flair meets attention to detail. Visitors can choose between homemade cakes and tarts and savoury delicacies such as tarte flambée or quiches. Freshly fortified, the route continues straight ahead across the Memminger Ach stream to the market square. Here you can see the magnificent, gleaming white Renaissance façade of the multi-storey town hall built in 1589, another of Memmingen's top sights. In contrast, the spacious wheelhouse with its warm ochre tones and playful paintings exudes a Mediterranean atmosphere.

Medieval tour for families

A cultural programme for the whole family. The town of Memmingen has the right event for this: the adventure rally. A total of 16 questions about Memmingen's buildings and squares have to be answered, allowing you to get to know the historic old town in a fun way. Pick up the questionnaire at the tourist information centre on the market square and off you go on your city adventure. At the end, a little surprise awaits the hard-working explorers at the Tourist Information Centre. The rally is designed for children up to the age of ten and lasts around 1.5 hours.

Crowning finale: hearty food and a unicorn

Just 50 metres from the market square in Kramerstraße you will find the traditional restaurant Zur Blauen Traube, one of Memmingen's attractions. The cosy, rustic restaurant is located in an almost 400-year-old building and originally served as a post office with stables and a bar for carriage drivers. The menu includes regional, hearty dishes such as pork knuckle or steak dishes, as well as vegetarian dishes such as Kässpatzen and homemade dumplings. On sunny days, the spacious beer garden in the heart of Memmingen's old town invites you to feast and linger.

A little culture to round things off? - Then use the way back to pay a visit to Memmingen's landmark, the Frauenkirche church in the weavers' and tanners' quarter. It is one of the oldest churches in Upper Swabia and is famous, among other things, for its depiction of a unicorn hunt. On the church forecourt of the three-aisled basilica, a statue of a unicorn symbolises the extraordinary fresco in the Frauenkirche. Follow Kramerstraße in the direction of Weinmarkt and turn left into Hirschgasse after 350 metres. After 100 metres, cross Memminger Ach and turn right onto Vordere Gerbergasse. From here you walk directly towards the Einhorn. Walk a few more steps in the idyllic Reichshainpark directly opposite on Steinbogenstraße before turning onto Bahnhofstraße to return by train after an eventful day.