BÜDINGEN
Half-timbered houses, castle and a volcanic vent
The Büdingen Old Town with its numerous listed monuments is one of the most beautiful medieval urban complexes in Germany. Magnificent half-timbered houses, small gables and dormers, imposing walls and towers at every turn.
The city’s landmark is the twin-towered Jerusalem Gate, which forms the main entrance to the two-kilometer-long, still accessible bastion with its 22 sandstone towers.
The monumental castle has been the ancestral seat of the princely family of Ysenburg and Büdingen for centuries and is preserved in its essential parts.
Above the historic Büdingen Old Town lies the Wilder Stein. A bright red sandstone formation from which you can enjoy an excellent view of the Old Town.
The Wilder Stein is a former volcanic vent where magma shot up and solidified into basalt.
During the volcanically active phase of the Vogelsberg, molten magma broke through the older rock layers at this location. It is estimated that the active phase occurred about 15 to 18 million years ago.
