|
KAUFBEUREN , a former Free Imperial City some 55km southwest of Augsburg by road or rail, is in many ways reminiscent of the better-known and more heavily touristed medieval towns further north. The key difference is that it is larger and more industrialized, largely as a result of the creation of the suburb of Neugablonz , the only community set up after World War II by refugees from a single area of Eastern Europe (Gablonz in the Sudetenland) from which Germans had been expelled. An intact Stadtmauer , part of whose sentry walk survives, still surrounds the cobblestoned Altstadt. At its highest point, the northwestern corner, are a terrace commanding a bird's-eye view and the impressive fortified church of St Blasius , whose round tower has a decidedly military rather than ecclesiastical appearance. Ironically, the interior is a graceful Gothic hall, with an outstanding high altar featuring carvings by Jorg Lederer. The best time to visit the town is on the third Sunday of July when the highpoint of the main local festival , the Tanzelfest , occurs. This features a costumed procession performed by 1600 children, re-enacting a visit to the town by Emperor Maximilian I in 1497. Kaufbeuren's tourist office is in the Rathaus, Kaiser-Max-Str. 1 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9.30am-noon; tel 0 83 41/4 04 05, fax 7 39 62, www.kaufbeuren.de ). If you  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
|
need a hotel , one of the lowest priced is Gasthof Leitner , Neugablonzer Str. 68 (tel 0 83 41/33 44; DM80-99/?40-49). In the Altstadt, choice is between Am Turm , Josef-Landes-Str. 1 (tel 0 83 41/9 37 40; DM125-149/?63-74), and Goldener Hirsch , Kaiser-Max-Str. 39 (tel 0 83 41/4 30 30; DM125-149/?63-74). Both Leitner and Goldener Hirsch also have good restaurants ; otherwise the best place to eat is Warmflasch , Am Hofanger 33.
Your Tips For Kaufbeuren
|
