Bavaria boasts countless historic cities whose visits take you on a journey through German history, such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Augsburg, or Donauwörth. However, the oldest city in our country is not located in our state, but in Rhineland-Palatinate—at least until now. About two hours from Munich lies a city that now claims to be even older than Trier.
Germany’s new oldest city?
Kempten has long been regarded, along with other cities such as Augsburg, Worms, and Trier, as one of Germany’s oldest cities, with the latter having previously held the title of the oldest. Kempten now wishes to challenge this claim. While it may not be the oldest city in Germany mentioned in written records, new excavations suggest that Kempten was settled even before Trier. The people of Trier take this in stride and continue to hold firmly to their superlative with conviction.
The researchers involved in the excavations have not yet found any clear evidence that would definitively point to one city or the other as the oldest. Both cities were founded several years before the birth of Christ and can thus boast a history of at least 2,000 years. So Kempten will have to be patient a little longer before it can officially claim this title—or perhaps not.
Kempten: Worth seeing, with or without the title
Whether Kempten is the oldest city in Germany or not shouldn’t matter for your visit. Either way, the town has many impressive sights to offer. It combines practically every architectural style, from Gothic to Baroque and Rococo to modern buildings— everything is represented here. On a hill near the Old Town, you’ll find the ruins of Burghalde, which house the Castle Museum. When the weather is nice, you can relax in the beer garden or take a guided tour of the Scent Garden. Practically across from Burghalde, on the other side of the Iller River, you can enjoy nature in Engelhalde Landscape Park.
In the actual city center, you can admire Kempten’s town hall and its fountain. The stepped gable with an onion dome rises majestically above Rathasuplatz. Like Munich, Kempten has a Baroque residence with a courtyard garden, whose magnificent rooms you can explore on a guided tour. In addition, the former Orangery in the Neoclassical style is located here, which today houses the city library. Kempten is also home to numerous churches whose towers dominate the cityscape, including St. Lorenz Basilica and the Church of the Assumption, as well as St. Magnus Church inthe Franciscan monastery.
Among the more modern sights is the Allgäu Tower with its glass facade. It stands 13 stories tall and offers a fabulous view far beyond the city limits. If you want to stay in Kempten longer, you can stay right here, as the Allgäu Tower also houses a hotel. In addition to exploring the city , it’s also worth taking a trip to the surrounding countryside to hike or otherwise enjoy the nature of the Allgäu. From Munich, you can reach Kempten in two hours by train or in about an hour and 45 minutes by car.
