Freudenberg am Main Germany Baden-Wurttemberg
6
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Frequently Asked Questions
On the left bank of the Main, in Baden-Württemberg, facing the wooded hills of neighbouring Bavaria. River vessels linking the Rhine to Nuremberg make a quiet stop here, at the foot of the village.
None, and that is exactly what makes the stop worthwhile. The village is one street or nearly so, half-timbered houses lined up between the water and the slope, and above them the broken walls of a medieval castle. An hour or two is enough to touch the rural Germany of the Main.
Yes, and at no charge. The path starts at the town hall and climbs in switchbacks through the trees; a few hundred steps higher, the ruins of the lords of Freudenberg's fortress open their grassy courtyards freely to walkers.
It has to be earned: bring good shoes and some stamina, since it is several hundred steps of switchbacks. Travellers with limited mobility would do better to stay on the main street and the riverbank, which are flat.
The river curves lazily between vineyards and forest, the red roofs of the village huddle below, and barges slide slowly from one lock to the next. In summer an open-air theatre sometimes takes over the old walls.
The main street, where the timber-framed houses lean with age, geraniums spill from the balconies and vaulted passageways offer glimpses of inner courtyards. An old wine cellar recalls that viticulture has shaped these slopes since the Middle Ages.
The dry whites from the edge of Franconian wine country, sold in the Bocksbeutel, that unmistakable flattened bottle. A few family inns serve regional dishes, river trout and game from the neighbouring forests foremost among them.
Yes. The Main cycle path, one of the busiest in Germany, runs through the village, and vessels carrying bicycles let you ride a stretch of it to the next stop. The landscaped bank also invites a walk along the water.
Yes, several itineraries combine the stop with Miltenberg, a few kilometres upstream on the Bavarian bank. Its market square, framed by tall half-timbered facades and pink sandstone, is among the most photographed in the country, and its Zum Riesen inn claims to be one of the oldest in Germany.
The euro and German. In a village this size English is little spoken and the family inns prefer cash. Bring a few euros ashore.
