Idstein is a quaint German village just 20 minutes away from our home in Wiesbaden. D and I had heard this little town was perfect for a quick afternoon visit, so one scorching hot afternoon in July, we headed over to see what all the fuss was about. I have to say, Idstein was adorable. It was small, but just big enough to provide for an afternoon of snacking on bretzels and spundekäs and getting in some castle wandering.
We started our visit off with lunch at Idsteiner Brauhaus, a small brewery housed in an old converted fire station. The cuisine is traditionally German, as was their small selection of beers, but the ambiance was warm and inviting. We leisurely ate our meals and sipped our dunkel hefewiezen's, then made our way into the heart of Idstein to explore the town. After stopping by the tourist information office for a map, we quickly realized there wasn't much to see in the way of notable attractions. Idstein has a small castle attached to the Rathaus and quite a few colorful, half-timbered lined alleyways, but the coolest attraction on the Marktplatz was the Schiefes Haus. Built in 1727 by the mayor of the town militia, the "crooked house" as it's more commonly known, used to house a pharmacy. Because of numerous construction deficiencies, the house has a crooked appearance, making it one of the most unique buildings still standing in Idstein. D and I continued to walk around the town, stopping at the Hexenturm (witch's tower), the Residence Palace, and the Unionskirch (town church) before throwing in the towel and calling it a day. While small and attraction-limited, Idstein was still a lovely example of quintessential German life and architecture. If you're looking for a quick day trip near Frankfurt or Wiesbaden, Idstein definitely fits the bill!
Beautiful pictures! Never heard of this place before!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing :) x
ReplyDeleteThis town looks wonderful! Is that obazter that you are eating? It's one of my favourites!
ReplyDeleteoh my heavens- i have been to idstein a time or two!!
ReplyDeleteits so close to the little town i grew up in.. have you been to koenigstein yet?!
let me know if you go - we lived just behind the city gates, first house on the right.. it has a little corner stone by the front door and says 1602. yes, it was built (for the first time in 1602!!).
your travels and pictures make me miss germany!!
-xo
Soo pretty! It's like a fairy tale
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I feel like Germany is where you should go if you want to pretend you are in a fairy tale! Also, I love how every food item can involve pretzels ;)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this precious little town, but then again there are SO many in Germany.
ReplyDeleteAnd I spy obazda - YUM!
This town looks so lovely - and your purple dress is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteMolly xo
This town is adorable. Your posts seriously make me just want to go on a small town tour of Germany. I was wishing there were more picture of you though because that purple dress looks like it would be right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty!!
ReplyDeleteUmmm... this place is IDYLLIC!... and so quintessentially German. A brauhaus housed in an old fire station... I die!
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to see this place one your blog! My mother actually has lots of colleagues who live in this area and while I've never been it's familiar to me from stories! I grew up in Frankfurt, so it's very close. :) I must say that this place really reminds me of Kronberg im Taunus - the old town is pretty similar! Have you done some exploring in this area? There are some nice hiking/walking opportunities in the Taunus and some nice, though sort of posh, towns. I hear Bad Homburg is very, very nice (and one of the rich people hot spots in Germany), but I've never been though I lived in the area for twenty years! :)
ReplyDeletexx
A small town with some beautiful buildings, I enjoyed the wander around the town thank you for sharing with us
ReplyDeleteYour pics are always so lovely. That little app with the pretzels in it is so darn cute!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh I LOVE the architecture! It reminds me so much about the Swiss German regions, absolutely gorgeous :)
ReplyDeleteI love these beautiful towns in Germany, so fairytale-esque!
ReplyDeleteLouisa @ My Family & Abruzzo
Aren't they great?! I think I'll miss these most when we move back stateside. :(
DeleteThese pictures just whisper (I'd say scream, but they're too quaint) "Germany"... I love how sweet the small towns are, there are so many to visit!
ReplyDeleteI love it, it's SO charming!!!
ReplyDeleteOoh... ginger bread houses! It looks like Hansel and Gretel are going to pop out of one of them! :)
ReplyDeleteThis town looks so adorable, like something right out of Disneyworld! And I love your dress, that color is gorgeous on you. :)
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