Walls, towers and Romanesque and Gothic architecture are the common characteristics of Germany’s old towns. Their medieval building heritage is preserved by a lack of later prosperity and development. Precious works of art in churches and museums help fill out the picture, along with weapons and other artefacts.  

To German speakers, historic town quarters can also be recognised in the names of streets and public spaces. But almost anyone can look at a map and identify the irregular street plans and lines of vanished town walls.

Where are the best places to imagine the past? Some of these large and small cities below are walled, at least in part. But complete wall circuits in modern Europe are rare and prized. Half-timbered buildings lasted for hundreds of years and only rare pieces belong to the Middle Ages.  

But it’s harder to define the Middle Ages in Germany than in most other European cultures. This is because the early medieval period, or Dark Ages, are in some ways darker in Germany than in western and southern Europe. At the other end, the developments most typical of the Renaissance arrived later in Germany.

The Gothic style of art and architecture, which characterises the later Middle Ages, hung on longer in German lands than in Italy, where the Renaissance began. The German Renaissance was also of a different character. Forms of feudalism persisted for centuries.

Gutenberg’s invention of movable type about 1450, and Martin Luther’s Reformation of 1517, seem to be clear end-markers of the transition. But the career of the Renaissance giant Albrecht Dürer bears out the nature of the change: Gothic traits lasted longer in the work even of a prime mover who had spent time in Italy.

Smell and filth would have been the norms of life, even in rich places. The wealthy would have spent their summers away from town where they could. It was the artisans and humble tradespeople who would have had to tolerate the mess to survive.

The historical city impressions, from the publishing house of the mid-17th century engraver Mattäus Merian, are among the earliest available.

Cologne

Cologne was the largest medieval German city and has some of Germany's most extensive medieval remains, despite World War II heavy bombing.

It's unique to find such powerful medieval gates still standing in a German metropolis, along with sections of city wall. Nowhere else in Germany is blessed with such a varied array of Romanesque churches. Much has been restored from rubble. Medieval artefacts complete this priceless heritage. 

Cologne had close ties to the medieval German throne. The archbishop of Cologne anointed Holy Roman emperors in Aachen before being crowned German king, one of their titles. A ritual procession from Aachen to Cologne's cathedral. From 1164 the monarch did homage before holy relics of the Three Magi. The precious shrine of the Magi, completed in 1225, is a shining example of medieval art and the associated rituals added to Cologne's mystique and power. Three crowns were added to the city’s heraldic arms.

It is hard to call today's Gothic cathedral medieval. The building project, though started in 1248, was not complete until the 19th century. But there are 14th century windows, regarded as Europe's biggest of the period. The high altar and the stalls come from the same period.

The 12 Romanesque churches, some altered and much restored, are truly medieval, set in two rings around the cathedral as a High Middle Ages ideal for a holy city. Most were completed between the mid-12th century and late 13th and several used Roman foundations. Several were built as monastery churches.

St Andreas preserves original Romanesque paintings and in the crypt is the tomb of St Albertus Magnus, the medieval church and natural philosopher. The Basilika St Ursula was built on a Roman graveyard and bones from this were gathered into a unique ossuary, now called the Goldene Kammer. The Basilika St Gereon is a Romanesque adaptation of a complex 10-sided plan from a Roman mausoleum.

The biggest of the Romanesque churches, Groß St Martin, has a 75m tower topped by a Gothic spire and is one of a handful with a trefoil plan is a survival from the 12th century. Byzantine influence shows in the Romanesque Basilika St Aposteln, which also has a trefoil apse from the early 13th century. But much of today's church is from its 11th century predecessor.

The earliest of the city’s trefoil apse churches is St Maria im Kapitol, completed in 1065 over an 8th century convent church that is still visible in the crypt, which contains the relics of its founder St Plektrudis.

The mid-12th century Cäcilienkirche is little changed in its outward appearance despite 15th century renovations. The towerless church replaced a 9th century home for women built over an even earlier Roman building. Today it is a museum of medieval and religious art.

The small Romanesque St Maria in Lyskirchen has an early 15th century wooden Madonna became an object of worship for Rhine boatmen, who adopted the church.

St Georg’s font is mid-13th century and the Gothic forked crucifix is from the 13th or 14th century.

The early 13th century Basilika St Severin had predecessors including 10th century church visible in the crypt. The late Gothic nave was added and the single tower is taller than even Groß St Martin at 79 metres.

The late Romanesque Overstolzenhaus on Rheingasse is an upper-class house of the period with stepped gable, now restored for business use.

Gothic buildings also remain in Cologne. The mid-15th century Gürzenich is a rare Late Gothic banquet hall with corner towers. There are also two Gothic churches, the Minoritenkirche and the Antoniterkirche.

The surviving medieval towers of Cologne include examples from the 12 fortified city gates. The full semicircular network, easy to see in the city street pattern, extended up to 9km, making it Germany's biggest. The Eigelsteintorburg near Ebertplatz and the Severinstorburg at Chlodwigplatz were the main north and south gates and the mighty Hahnentorburg faced west. The only other gate structure preserved is the early 13th century Ulrepforte, with a round tower reminiscent of some in Nuremberg and features in common with a tower on the preserved Gereonswall portion. A section of wall known as the Kartäuserwall is attached, along with signs of an outer ditch of 9 metres. It led to the Bayenturm, the Rhine south end tower and of the 52 strongpoints.

The north Rhine tower was the 17 metre Weckschnapp or Kunibertsturm, visible today on Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer. 

Erfurt

Erfurt is one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities, with more than two dozen parish churches and more than a dozen monasteries. It also claims Europe's oldest synagogue. Its trading and pilgrimage routes flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries, leaving a rich architectural legacy.

The list of sacred buildings is extensive. The Dom St Marien, begun in 1154, claims the world's biggest medieval swinging bell, cast in 1497, diameter of almost 26m, weighing more than 13 tonnes. Highlights are the Gothic portal including the wise and foolish virgins and the High Gothic windows.

The 13th century St Severikirche, on the Domberg next to the cathedral, has an unusual Romanesque plan with five aisles and a triple-spired north-east end of the choir. Many rich High Gothic altars and the saint's ornate sarcophagus are features.

The Romanesque Reglerkirche is outwardly unchanged. There many Gothic parish churches, though some maintain Romanesque features. The Predigerkirche, Michaeliskirche, Allerheiligenkirche, Kaufmannskirche, Andreaskirche and the 14th century Ägidienkirche and Lorenzkirche. The Barfüßerkirche is partly ruined by bombing – only the choir has been restored. The former church towers Bartolomäusturm, Johanneskirchturm and Paulskirchturm, rebuilt in the 15th century, and the 14th century Nikolaikirchturm continue standing.

Alte Synagoge, established in 1094, preserves its medieval mikveh and has claims to be Europe's oldest. Today it is a museum of Jewish life. Religious foundations include the 13th century Augustinerkloster, where Martin Luther studied, and the Ursulinenkloster.

The early 14th century bridge Krämerbrücke includes more than 30 buildings. Most are half-timbered. The Collegium Maius building from 1392, which has an ornate portal, has a claim to be from Germany's oldest university.

Other medieval buildings include the inn Zur Hohen Lilie on Domplatz and the Haus zur Steinecke on Horngasse.

Erfurt is not one of the best known German cities, but it is one of the most beautiful.

Quedlinburg

Looking at Quedlinburg is like a shining a beam into a dark medieval past. It is one of a handful of places associated with the earliest German kingdom, known as East Francia, and the burial place of the first king and queen. It also has one of the earliest royal castles.

UNESCO describes Quedlinburg as "an exceptional example of a medieval European town" with priceless architecture and deep historical links to medieval Germany. The medieval townscape and plan are basically intact, and at least 1300 half-timbered houses of late medieval date are beautifully preserved, the oldest from the mid-1300s. This is a place to walk.

Its old town appeared about 1000 and its new town, outside the Mühlgraben, grew from the 12th century.

The castle's attached abbey church, on the hill known as the Schloßberg or Stiftsberg, is a Romanesque jewel with world heritage listing. The German king Heinrich I, known as Henry the Fowler, built the 10th century castle, which was extended by his son, the emperor Otto I. It had a makeover in the Renaissance.

The St Servatii church is "one of the most significant monuments in the history of art from the 10th to the 12th century". This is where Henry was buried with his widow Mathilde. On Henry's death, Mathilde had the church rebuilt by Otto to serve an aristocratic convent in Henry's memory. But Henry's stone tomb is now empty.

The castle and its museum are being restored in works it is hoped will be complete late in 2024.

A visit to the Romanesque church St Wipertii south-west of the old town is a visit to the 10th century world of Henry and his son Otto. The precious crypt is from this period, although most of the stone church above is from the 12th century and some of the windows are Gothic. The area was the site of a fortified royal court with palace and a college of canons was attached.

Parts of the sandstone town wall, built from the 12th to 14th centuries, are preserved with towers such as the Schreckensturm and Kuhhirtenturm.

The parish churches St Aegidii, St Nikolai and St Benedikti (now largely Gothic) all have Romanesque origins and St Aegidii has the oldest stained glass in the city. The Romanesque St Blasii, with 10th century remains, later had Gothic and Baroque makeovers and extensions.

Goslar

The silver mining wealth of Goslar was one of the reasons the German kings liked visiting. The wealth bought a Romanesque royal palace, a clutch of medieval churches and a circuit wall that makes Goslar’s old town one of the best medieval experiences for travellers. Few places can offer so much Romanesque style. But for Henry and his successors, it was a place of power.

Goslar is best known for its half-timbered architecture and some of its 1000 town houses were built in the 15th century. The walkable streets have changed little and the old town, the palace and the mines have UNESCO world heritage listing.

The town became an imperial seat for Heinrich II early in the 11th century and the present summer palace Kaiserpfalz was begun by Heinrich III a few decades later. It is almost unique and one of the biggest surviving secular medieval structures in Germany. Heinrich III’s heart was laid to rest in Goslar, such was his love for the place. It is now in the palace’s chapel of St Ulrich. The Romanesque Domvorhalle, vestibule of an otherwise vanished palace church, houses a replica of the imperial throne.

The town’s Romanesque churches include the Marktkirche basilica from about 1150 and the Jakobikirche is from the 11th century. The Neuwerkkirche is only a little later. From the 12th century comes the Frankenbergkirche.

The 13th century hospice and alms house Großes Heiliges Kreuz is in the same style. A rare treasure on Markt is the Romanesque fountain Marktbrunnen with a gilt copy of an imperial eagle whose battered original can be seen in the palace.

The 15th century Gothic Kaiserworth at Markt is a former guild hall for cloth merchants and tailors that shows the riches of the town’s elite, who were backed up by a solid middle class of artisans and tradesmen.

To see another unique treasure, visitors must enter the Gothic Rathaus. The old council chamber known as the Huldigungssaal preserves 15th century interior panel paintings showing biblical and mythological figures and images of German emperors. Sealed off, they must be viewed through multimedia in a room where large photographs are posted or by peering through a spy window. They are closed to the public some times of year.

Goslar’s historical museum preserves the 12th century Krodo-Altar and the early 13th century illuminated Goslarer Evangeliar Gospel manuscript.

The most robust survivals of the town walls are the gate complex of Breites Tor, the Achtermann bastion (now built into a hotel) and the Zwinger bastion, which now houses a medieval museum with displays of medieval arms and armour.

Regensburg

The Gothic style that dominates the narrow streets of Regensburg’s old town would alone make it special. The Roman legions abandoned their fortifications in the 5th century, but the city's importance remained.

Regensburg was the seat of the Bavarian duchy from the 6th century and the misnamed Römerturm, 28 metres high, survives from the ducal palace. The connected Herzogenhof was also part of the residence. The city then became capital of the eastern Frankish kingdom and an imperial seat in the 9th century.

This Bavarian city on the Danube carefully preserves its medieval character. Some of the more colourful old street names belong to inns that stood there or reveal the historical locations of craft workers and trades.

Many of Regensburg’s tower-houses – medieval residential structures that also served as headquarters for the businesses of their wealthy merchant owners – reached up to nine storeys and some are more or less intact. These were inspired by Italian cities but are rare in Germany and resolved a shortage of space. Early medieval Regensburg stayed inside the Roman camp walls.

It is striking in the close old-town streetscape to find these towers reaching up to 40 metres. Examples such as the Goldener Turm, the Baumburgerhaus, the Kastenmeyer Haus and the Löblturm are little changed from their 13th century appearance. Some are missing their original upper levels. The Goliathhaus, not as high but preserving a remarkable 16th century exterior fresco of the giant’s great battle with David, is another survival.

The 13th century Gothic cathedral Dom St Peter retains many of its interior treasures and much of its original stained glass. Precious statues include the enigmatic 13th century Gabriel. But evidence of the church in Regensburg is even earlier – and earlier than in most German centres.

There was a bishopric in the 8th century and some of the city’s churches are ancient. Romanesque style is prominent, even if some of the interiors were later remodelled in Baroque. The Basilika St Emmeram has graves going back to the 7th century, though redecorated in Baroque. The Alte Kapelle has 9th century beginnings and the Niedermünsterkirche has early archaeology. The 12th century Schottenkirche St Jakob with its mysterious, weirdly crafted portal ornament and the 13th century St-Ulrichs-Kirche (now a museum) are little altered.

None of this early development would have been possible without trade. The stone bridge, built in the 12th century, was for a long time the only crossing over the Danube. This made Regensburg a node for portage north of the Alps and links with southern Europe – especially Italy.

The 14th century Altes Rathaus was for about 150 years the venue for the Reichstag, the assembly of the princes and cities of the Holy Roman empire. Today there are tours of the assembly hall, maintained with its furnishings.

UNESCO has given world heritage listing to the old town, the bridge, and the Baroque buildings of the Stadtamhof precinct across the Danube. 

Nuremberg

The Nazis’ mystical attachment to Nuremberg goes back to its central role in the medieval Holy Roman empire. But its cultural significance in German history is real. In 1356 the first Reichstag assembly sat in Nuremberg with the edict that each new emperor should hold his first Reichstag there. At the end of the medieval period it was one of the largest cities in German-speaking lands. Its remains help us understand what a big late medieval city looked like.

Today much of the city’s historic centre has been salvaged from World War II damage. What was saved is a monument to a time when a thriving middle class led the city to a cultural and commercial peak.

As a free imperial city, Nuremberg’s medieval relationships with German power were close, but sometimes stormy. The emperor Frederick Barbarossa started building the Kaiserburg castle above the city from the middle of the 12th century.

Nuremberg’s wealth was partly due to its trading position near the centre of Europe. The enterprise of an independent-thinking commercial class did the rest. The Jewish quarter was razed after a pogrom following the arrival of the Black Death and replaced by the exceptional Gothic Frauenkirche. Its clock parade celebrates the Holy Roman emperor and the elector princes. There are 14th century statues are inside.

Nuremberg's peak came late, bridging the late Gothic and Renaissance periods. But at its height the city made giant strides in art, science and publishing. The work of sculptors such as Veit Stoß and Peter Vischer the elder is visible in the two medieval parish churches, St Lorenz and St Sebald. The artist, printer, mathematician and chartmaker Albrecht Dürer’s restored Gothic house and workshop are a popular museum.

The Nuremberger Martin Behaim designed one of the early world globes. He also developed navigational instruments that the Portuguese explorers used to chart the oceans.

The Meistersinger were poets drawn from the social ranks of guild artisans and commercial firms and performed their intricate poetry mainly for themselves. Their wordcraft paralleled their trades and had a hierarchy ranging from master to novice. In the 16th century, led by the shoemaker Hans Sachs, the Nuremberg Meistersinger became the outstanding practitioners in Germany. Wagner’s opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg celebrates this achievement. 

Reflecting more than Nuremberg’s greatness, Germanisches Nationalmuseum is Germany’s leading museum of cultural heritage. It includes art (with works by Dürer), a collection of musical and scientific instruments, period dress and home interiors, toys, guild history and an extensive weapons and armour collection.

The city’s late medieval heritage is also preserved in its trademark round towers and massive city walls. There are more than 70 towers of various types in the old town. The Frauenturm, which marks the entrance to the city centre from the station, shows the style for the city’s round towers, reinforced in the early Renaissance period. To appreciate the staggering scale of the late medieval city’s dual walls and ditches, walk along the north-west wall parallel with Neutorgraben from Neutorbastion and north of the castle along Vestnertorgraben  between between Tiergartnertor and Maxtor. The path Burggraben follows the ditch.

Reflecting more than Nuremberg’s greatness, Germanisches Nationalmuseum is Germany’s leading museum of cultural heritage. It includes art (with works by Dürer), a collection of musical and scientific instruments, period dress and home interiors, toys, guild history and an extensive weapons and armour collection.

The city’s late medieval heritage is also preserved in its trademark round towers and massive city walls. There are more than 70 towers of various types in the old town. The Frauenturm, which marks the entrance to the city centre from the station, shows the style for the city’s round towers, reinforced in the early Renaissance period. To appreciate the staggering scale of the late medieval city’s dual walls and ditches, walk along the north-west wall parallel with Neutorgraben from Neutorbastion and north of the castle along Vestnertorgraben  between between Tiergartnertor and Maxtor. The path Burggraben follows the ditch.

The Kaiserburg and two massive buildings by Beheim, the Mauthalle granary, and the Kaiserstallung corn store next to the castle, have been rescued from the wreckage of war. Beheim also extended the 14th century Heilig-Geist-Spital building and its Kreuzigungshof, where the late 15th century crucifixion sculpture by Adam Krafft can be seen.

The Nassauer Haus tower house and its boastful inscription also survived the bombing. The Weißer Turm, part of one of two 13th century wall circuits, is restored. The old executioner’s house and the 15th century bridges Henkersteg and Henkerbrücke over the river Pegnitz still stand. More delicate is the Gothic fountain Schöner Brunnen from the late 14th century.

The earliest half-timbered town buildings are from the 15th century and the restored street Weißgerbergasse has some of the finest examples.

Trier

Trier’s place as an early centre of the Christian church in Germany is second only to that of Mainz. Trier’s Romanesque cathedral Dom St Peter is Germany’s oldest and has been successively enlarged since the 4th century.

The monastery of St Matthias, south of the city, maintains the burials of early Trier saint-bishops. From the 12th century it claimed the relics of St Matthew.

Rome’s decline and departure left Trier to the Franks but the city maintained its significance as an archdiocese and river port. Roman ruins were largely picked apart for building stone. By the 11th century not enough of the Roman walls remained to ensure the city’s security. City authorities built a smaller circuit using the city’s northern walls as foundations and visitors can follow these today.

Uncertainty remained. Tower-houses with defensive architecture such as raised doors and slit windows were the response of some of the affluent commercial families and some still stand. Examples are the colourful Romanesque-Gothic Dreikönigenhaus and the grimmer Frankenturm, looking like a castle keep and probably built partly of Roman stone.

The prestige of its archbishops became the city’s main power asset and in 1257 Trier became one of the electoral principalities of the Holy Roman empire. The medieval city also left impressive monuments. Next to the cathedral, also built on Roman foundations, is the oldest Gothic church in Germany, the delicate early 13th century Liebfrauen-Basilika, in recent years restored with painted interiors.

In the centre of Hauptmarkt, the medieval town square, is the 10th century Marktkreuz. This cross stood on a Roman column and commemorates the royal grant of market rights. Today’s cross is a painted copy but the original is in the Simeonstift museum. The 14th and 15th century Gothic Marktkirche St Gangolf dominates the square and the 15th century Gothic house known as Steipe is prominent.

On the Moselle banks are two cranes used for loading operations. The older, Krahnen, is a Gothic early 15th century round structure. The massive oak booms managed loads between the ships using a treadmill wheel. The process would have been little changed since Roman times.

Trier’s many treasures, including its priceless Roman monuments, are recognised with world heritage listing by UNESCO.

Würzburg

Würzburg is not among the best-known German cities but is firmly among the country’s leading attractions. Its late medieval hilltop fortress stands above a late medieval stone bridge across the river Main. The city has many beauties, some from the medieval period.

Most of the great building projects and foundations of Würzburg are due to the influence and patronage of the ruling prince-bishops. Ecclesiastical and secular power combined in the person of the prince-bishops from the mid-12th century, but the bishopric goes back to the mid-8th century.

The prince-bishops were lavish patrons of artists. In Würzburg the greatest of these was the sculptor and limewood carver Tilman Riemenschneider, whose work bridged Gothic and Renaissance styles. Riemenschneider’s work for the church extended through Franconia and Swabia but the best collection is in Würzburg, his home city. To appreciate Riemenschneider's artistry, travellers should visit the Mainfränkisches Museum in the Marienberg fortress and the reconstructed Romanesque cathedral.

Marienberg was the first seat of the Würzburg prince-bishops. The bodies of most of the Würzburg bishops lie in the cathedral, but for hundreds of years their entrails were buried in the fortress’s Marienkirche.

The 13th century Deutschhaus Kirche, below the fortress, has Würzburg’s oldest Gothic choir, a late Romanesque tower and a valuable Gothic south portal.

The medieval connections of Würzburg surround the Dom St Kilian. This cathedral is dedicated to the apostle of Franconia, who brought Christianity from Ireland late in the 7th century but was martyred with two fellow missionaries. Charlemagne attended the first consecration but the present cathedral, restored after wartime bombing, belongs to the 12th century. The sainted missionaries appear among the Baroque statues on the bridge, known simply as Alte Mainbrücke.The site of the martyrdom of Kilian is the 13th century church Neumünster next to the cathedral. The church was redesigned in Baroque style but the martyrs’ relics are in a shrine in the crypt. The little garden Lusamgärtchen in a surviving Romanesque cloister is celebrated as the resting place of the medieval minnesang poet Walther von der Vogelweide.

Würzburg’s oldest secular building is the 13th century Romanesque tower of the Rathaus, known as Grafeneckart.

The late Gothic 15th century church Marienkapelle at Marktplatz was built near a synagogue burned amid slaughter in 1349. The violence followed accusations of Jews poisoning city wells after the Black Death arrived. Copies of Riemenschneider’s Adam and Eve stand over the south door and his Christ and apostles guard the external buttresses. 

The Franziskanerkirche formed part of a 13th century monastery and a fine late Gothic cloister survives.

Marienberg was the first seat of the Würzburg prince-bishops. The bodies of most of the Würzburg bishops are buried in the cathedral, but for hundreds of years their entrails were interred in the fortress’s Marienkirche.

The 13th century Deutschhaus Kirche below the fortress has Würzburg’s oldest Gothic choir, a late Romanesque tower and a valuable Gothic south portal.

The medieval connections of Würzburg surround the cathedral Dom St Kilian, dedicated to the apostle of Franconia, who brought Christianity to the region from Ireland late in the 7th century and was martyred with two fellow missionaries. The first cathedral was consecrated in the presence of Charlemagne but the present building, restored after wartime bombing, belongs to the 12th century. The sainted missionaries appear among the Baroque statues on the bridge, known simply as Alte Mainbrücke.

The site of the suffering of Kilian is the 13th century church Neumünster next to the cathedral. The church has been redesigned in Baroque style but the martyrs’ relics are in a shrine in the crypt. The little garden Lusamgärtchen in a surviving Romanesque cloister is celebrated as the resting place of the medieval minnesang poet Walther von der Vogelweide.

Würzburg’s oldest secular building is the 13th century Romanesque tower of the nearby Rathaus, known as Grafeneckart.

The late Gothic 15th century church Marienkapelle at Marktplatz was sited on part of the Jewish quarter occupied by a synagogue, which was burned amid slaughter in 1349 when the Black Death was put down to Jews poisoning city wells. It was replaced by the market and church. Copies of Riemenschneider’s Adam and Eve stand over the south door and his Christ and apostles guard the external buttresses.

The Franziskanerkirche formed part of a 13th century monastery and a fine late Gothic cloister survives.

Bamberg

Bamberg’s almost untouched historical beauty started with a medieval vision. The German king and later Holy Roman emperor Heinrich II founded a bishopric in 1007 with a view to spreading the faith – and with it monastic life – eastward into Europe. Heinrich’s devotion to monasticism inspired his concept for a holy city, with churches placed at key points to form a T-shaped cross.

Heinrich started building the first cathedral. The present Romanesque and Gothic Bamberger Dom is from the first half of the 13th century. The cathedral hill became a clerical enclave comprising the cathedral and episcopal residences.

Above even the cathedral perches the Benedictine monastery of Michaelsberg, founded in Heinrich’s lifetime. The 12th century bishop St Otto was buried in the Romanesque-Gothic-Baroque St Michael abbey church in a Gothic tomb. This is one point of the cross. A second is the 13th century St Stephan, also above the main city. The foot of the cross is the Romanesque St Gangolf, with 11th and 12th century outer appearance. The cross intersects at the Dom.

Inside the cathedral are the city’s most prominent medieval artworks. The first is the equestrian sculpture known as the Bamberger Reiter. In its exquisite lines it is the essence of medieval mysticism, showing the ideal Christian knight. But who it represents has been the subject of centuries of debate. The other is the sepulchre for Heinrich and his queen Kunigunde, finely carved at the end of the medieval period by Tilman Riemenschneider. The German pope Clement II’s tomb is also there.

The commercial town grew on the flat island between the arms of the Regnitz and the canal linking the Main and Danube. Such a division, like in many episcopal cities, led to later problems between the church and civic leaderships.

A late 15th century debate ensued about where to site a town hall.  The bishops, it is said, would not provide land for one. So an island was created in the west arm of the Regnitz and the Altes Rathaus was built there, reached from either side by bridge.

Other medieval churches are the originally Gothic St Jakob and the Gothic Obere Pfarrkirche, both from the 14th century.

Looking out over them all is the medieval castle Altenburg, stronghold of the bishops from the 14th to 16th centuries. But its keep is dated to the 13th century.

Only one medieval feature is missing in Bamberg – city walls.

Worms

Worms is like Regensburg or Trier in having an early medieval Christian history that emerges from the late Roman period. But in Worms the Burgundians were the first inheritors of the Celtic-Roman city, giving rise to the traditions behind the medieval verse epic the Nibelungenlied. Only later did the Franks take over.

The Dom St Peter, Worms' first Romanesque cathedral, was built early in the 11th century but the present structure is mostly 12th century work. According to the Nibelungenlied, the north portal was the scene of the argument between the queens Kriemhild and Brunhild, a central scene of the epic. According to the historical record, the Catholic church here condemned Luther as a heretic.

As well as bishops' graves in the church, nine sarchophagi of 10th and 11th century Frankish nobles are in the crypt, some with designs on their carved lids.

The Andreaskirche, now used as the city museum, is a 12th century structure that preserves a Romanesque cloister. The adjacent Magnuskirche is from the 13th century. The Pauluskirche, on the site of a Roman an early medieval fortification, was remodelled in the 13th century, the period of remaining wall paintings. Some rebuilding happened in the 18th century. The 12th century Catholic parish church Martinskirche preserves signs of a 10th century predecessor. The Gothic Liebfrauenkirche, outside the old town, was begun early in the 14th century. It gave its name to a widely recognised white wine, Liebfraumilch, produced for more than 200 years.

Worms has a precious remnants of a medieval Jewish quarter, including the synagogue Raschi Shul. The first Worms synagogue was built in 1034 on the site and named for a 12th century rabbi. An inscription from its foundation survived the destruction of the building in 1096. In 1175 a late Romanesque synagogue was built to replace it. The synagogue was burned in 1938 but recreated in 1961. The Jewish cemetery has a wide variety of grave monuments over several centuries, about half from the medieval period. These include eminent rabbis and scholars. The Jewish quarter is listed by UNESCO.

A substantial section of medieval city wall survives, complete with towers.

Raven Travel Guides Europe has a strong focus on attractive cities and historical precincts. For more on German city architecture, check out the Raven Guides blogs on beautiful Renaissance Augsburg, Baroque German cities, Hanseatic German Renaissance cities and Germany's Roman cities.