Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [238]
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SCHMALKALDEN
03683 / pop 10,500
Schmalkalden’s old town virtually sighs under the sheer weight of its half-timbered houses and is crowned by a handsome hilltop castle, Schloss Wilhelmsburg. About 40km south of Eisenach, the little town played a big role during the Reformation. It was here in 1531 that the Protestant princes established the Schmalkaldic League to counter the central powers of Catholic emperor Charles V. Although they suffered a daunting military defeat in 1546, they managed to regroup and eventually got the emperor to sign the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 that allowed each of the German states to choose between Lutheranism and Catholicism.
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Orientation & Information
It’s about a 10-minute walk from the train and bus stations to the Altmarkt central square and another seven minutes to Schloss Wilhelmsburg. There’s an ATM on Weidebrunner Gasse, near Lutherplatz, and a post office on Altmarkt.
The tourist office ( 403 182; www.schmalkalden.de; Mohrengasse 1a; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat Nov-Mar) is just off Altmarkt.
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Sights & Activities
Overlooking the town, the late-Renaissance-style Schloss Wilhelmsburg ( 403 186; Schlossberg 9; adult/concession €3.50/2; 10am-6pm daily Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar) is Schmalkalden’s most imposing building. Landgrave Wilhelm IV of Hessen conceived it as a hunting lodge and summer residence in the 1580s. Since then, the Schloss has largely kept its original design, with lavish murals and stucco decorating most rooms, of which the Riesensaal, with its coffered and painted ceiling, is the most impressive. The playfully decorated Schlosskirche (palace church) has a rare wood organ that is thought to be the oldest working organ of its type in Europe. There’s also an exhibit on life during the Renaissance and Schmalkalden’s role in the Reformation, as well as an animated 3-D journey into the world of the Middle Ages.
The Rathaus (1419) on Altmarkt functioned as the meeting place of the Schmalkaldic League; nearby the incongruous towers of the late-Gothic St Georgenkirche, another place where Luther once preached, also overlook the square.
Schmalkalden is the western terminus of the Martin-Luther-Weg, a 17km easy-to-moderate hiking trail that ends at Tambach-Dietharz, from where there are bus services back to town (weekdays only; the tourist office can help with times).
About 6km north of town, Neue Hütte ( 403 018; Gothaer Strasse; adult/concession/family €2/1/4; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) will thrill both kids and the technically minded. One of the few surviving 19th-century smelting plants in Europe, it has a waterwheel, turbines and other industrial knick-knacks.
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Sleeping & Eating
Teichhotel ( 402 661; www.teichhotel.de, in German; Teichstrasse 21; s/d €50/75; ) Just outside the Altstadt, this hotel has plain but comfortable rooms. The restaurant serves well-priced hearty fare to keep hikers and bikers happy.
Stadthotel Patrizier ( 604 514; www.stadthotel-patrizier.de, in German; Weidebrunner Gasse 9; s/d €55/82) After a day on the road, linger over wine and light regional classics in the restaurant or the idyllic courtyard, then rest your weary head in your delightfully dapper room. The two suites provide enough elbow room for families.
Maykel’s ( 608 970; Lutherplatz 1; mains €2.50-9; 10am-midnight) From clerks to cops to cool kids, everybody’s got a soft spot for this relaxed cafe-bar, where breakfast is served until 2pm and there’s good pub grub to counteract your alcohol intake.
The Castle ( 466 703; Schlossberg 1b; nightly May-Oct, Mon-Sat Nov-Apr) A youngish crowd gathers for booze, bratwurst and beats at the Castle, which is about as hip as things get in good old Schmalkalden. In summer, the action spills into the yard.
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Getting There & Around
Schmalkalden is served by the private Süd-Th