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ANDERNACH , which lies 16km down the Rhine from Koblenz, can trace its history back further than almost any other German town. It celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1988, commemorating the foundation of a Roman base for the campaigns against the tribes on the eastern side of the Rhine. Subsequently Andernach became a Franconian royal seat, before passing to the control of the Archbishop-Electors of Cologne, serving as the southern border of their territory until the Napoleonic invasion. Nowadays, it's an odd hybrid, having a fair amount of industry, yet taking advantage of its situation and monuments to double as a holiday resort. If you're travelling along the Rhine by boat, it's definitely worth breaking your journey for a couple of hours in order to walk round the thirteenth-century Stadtmauer , which was laid out on the Roman foundations. The walls survive largely intact, making a solid back for many later buildings, including a well-concealed row of houses. Extra defence on the southern stretch was provided by the Burg , the most important town castle in the Rhineland. Blown up by French troops in 1688, a fair amount has nevertheless survived, notably the later embellishments such as the Pulverturm and residential palace wing. Round to the north, overlooking the river, is the Rheintor , whose inner gate has weather-worn statues illustrating the best-known local legend, that of the Andernacher Backerjungen (baker boys of Andernach), who saved the town from occupation by letting loose their bees on the invading army. The most picturesque feature of Andernach's fortifications, however, is the fifteenth-century Runder Turm (key available from the tourist office) overlooking the Rhine on the northern side of town, whose octagonal upper storeys give it an exotic, oddly Moorish air. Thankfully, the French siege guns failed to penetrate its thick walls, but the enormous dent they made can still be seen clearly. Continuing down the river bank, there's the remarkable sixteenth-century Alter Kran , a crane whose original wooden mechanism remained in service into the twentieth century and is still in full working order. Just to the west of the Runder Turm, the tall twin facade towers of the Pfarrkirche Maria Himmelfahrt rise majestically above the rest of the skyline. For the most part, it's an archetypal late Romanesque basilica with a pronounced Rhenish accent, though the northeastern belfry is in fact a survivor of the previous church on the site. Andernach's main axis, Hochstrasse, runs from here to the Burg; about halfway down is the Altes Rathaus , occupying the site of the former ghetto. A Mikwe (Jewish ritual bath) was recently discovered underneath the session room; to see it, ask for the key at the tourist office. On the adjacent Laufstrasse is  © 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!
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the Gothic Christuskirche , a former Minorite friary church with a curiously lopsided interior. A little further down the street is the Haus von der Leyen , a Renaissance patrician mansion that now houses the Stadtmuseum (Tues-Fri 10am-noon & 2-5pm, Sat & Sun 2-4pm; DM2/?1). Lack of space means that only a small collection of antiquities is permanently on display, but the changing exhibitions (prominently featured on posters outside) are often surprisingly good.
Your Tips For Andernach
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