Frankfurt to Marburg – A day trip

Marburg is a lovely little town in central Hessen, located on the River Lahn. It’s worth a day trip, and if travelling from Frankfurt, is easily reachable by train or car in an hour.

I’d recommend going on a dry day as you’d ideally spend most of your time exploring Marburg by foot, taking in the scenery.

Marburg Castle

Arriving in Marburg by car, we parked directly by the castle. If you go to Marburg by train you can reach the castle in a doable 30-minute walk from Marburg main station. Wear sensible shoes though, the hill is pretty steep.

So yes, first stop, Marburg castle! It’s so pretty! We explored the castle and its surrounding gardens, taking in the beautiful view over Marburg city.

It was very quiet when I visited, but I can only imagine that on a normal summer’s day, when tourism hasn’t come to a halt due to a global pandemic, it would be packed. So if you’re not too far and can easily reach Marburg, then perhaps this is the best time to go.

I didn’t eat there myself, but you can stop for food at Bückingsgarten restaurant, which has a beer garden so you can enjoy the view for even longer.

Marburg Altstadt

We headed downhill to Marburg Altstadt (old town) by car, but if you walked up then I’m sure the walk back down will be much less strenuous!

Marburg Altstadt is paved with cobbles, and as you walk through the narrow lanes, you are surrounded by a rainbow of painted houses with wooden facades. I showed a friend my photos and she said it looks like toy town 🙂 It certainly has a playful feel to it.

You can stop for food, drinks and ice-cream at the numerous restaurants that Marburg Altstadt has to offer. Marktplatz (market place) plaza has a backdrop of Marburg Rathaus (city hall) and a market which is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

There are also plenty of little shops if you fancy taking something back with you 🙂

Following our walk around the Altstadt, we were ready to head back to Frankfurt. But for those of you who would like to see more of Marburg, I’ve heard that a walk along the River Lahn and visiting the botanical gardens are worth both doing.

Have fun!