October 12, 2025, 6:09 am | Read time: 4 minutes
The TRAVELBOOK Award was presented for the fourth time this year. The trend travel destinations for the coming year were also announced for 2025. In the category “Most Beautiful Old Town in Germany,” the old town of Wetzlar was among the nominees. TRAVELBOOK reveals what there is to see there.
Wetzlar in the Lahn Valley
The city of Wetzlar is surrounded by the Westerwald and Taunus and is located directly on the Lahn River in central Hesse. According to the Lahn Valley Tourism Association, the city’s origins date back to the 8th century. However, it was first mentioned in 1141.
The historic old town is the city center that developed in the early Middle Ages. Today, the old town is protected as a cultural monument under the Hessian Monument Protection Act.
The Old Town of Wetzlar
Since the 13th century, Wetzlar was surrounded by a city wall with five gates and several towers. In the 19th and 20th centuries, all gates and towers were demolished except for the so-called Säuturm and the Kalsmunttor. The remaining sections of the wall separate the old town from the surrounding green spaces. These parks are named after Wetzlar’s sister cities, such as the Schladming-Anlage, the Avignon-Anlage, the Colchester-Anlage, and the Siena Promenade.
The main attractions are located in the old town itself. These include restored half-timbered houses and six museums. Small alleys lead to many small squares that terrace down to the Lahn River and the old Lahn Bridge. The bridge is a stone structure first mentioned in 1288.
The Wetzlar Cathedral is also located in the old town. It stands out not only because of its size but especially due to its incompleteness. The facade is quite obviously unfinished. But not only is the facade inconsistent, the planned left tower was never built beyond the base level. According to the City of Wetzlar’s website, although a large central portal was created, the staircase ramp to ascend is missing. Due to a financial and economic crisis in the 14th century, the church’s funding was contentious, and construction progressed slowly. There were even decades-long pauses in between.
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What There Is to See
Those who want to learn more about the history of the Wetzlar Cathedral can either join a cathedral tour or experience a virtual tour via an app.
A real highlight in Wetzlar’s old town is the Lottehaus. The half-timbered house hosts a museum where visitors can immerse themselves in the world of the 18th century. It also commemorates Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s stay in the summer of 1772. In the then-imperial city of Wetzlar, Goethe experienced the story he describes in his epistolary novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” The Lottehaus was the parental home of the young Charlotte Buff, with whom Goethe fell in love.
The oldest half-timbered house in Wetzlar, the building at Brodschirm 6, is also located in the old town. It is not far from the cathedral and dates back to 1356, with three stories. It underwent extensive restoration in the late 1980s, so it remains well-preserved today.
In the mid-14th century, the town hall was built and has since been repeatedly remodeled. It housed the highest court of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and the Imperial Chamber Court.
Methodology for the TRAVELBOOK Award
We say it every year: All nominated regions, countries, and others for the TRAVELBOOK Award are already winners. Even if they didn’t achieve overall victory. Because: Each country had already made it to the shortlist beforehand, selected from a large number of contenders in a category.
The TRAVELBOOK editorial team asked the community on Facebook and Instagram for help and consulted experts from the travel industry to create the shortlist. TRAVELBOOK readers then cast nearly 150,000 votes and chose their trend travel destinations for 2026.