Germany: Muhlhausen
Another absolute gem of a medieval town totally under the radar is Muhlhausen in northern Thuringia. The town was first mentioned in 967 and is stunningly well preserved to this day – it’s fully surrounded by defensive walls with towers and entrance gates and the narrow cobblestone streets are lined by by beautiful half-timbered houses, one older then the other. In 1500s, the town was a self-ruled and independent unit of the Holy Roman Empire with population of over 10k people. Miraculously, it was spared destruction in the 20th century wars and is extremely well-preserved. Fully constrained with medieval walls, it’s one sq km of medieval splendor, one of the largest such medieval towns in Germany. There are eleven Gothic churches inside the old town – St Blaise Church, St Mary’s Church, All Saints Church, St James Church being the most impressive and largest. Don’t miss climbing the tower near the main entrance gates for super panoramic views of the entire town – it’s a million dollar view!
