Myths, masks, wine enjoyment - Kitzingen pleasure tour

After leaving the railway station, follow Friedrich-Ebert-Straße. The road leads past the rose garden and the old cemetery. There is a suitcase memorial at the rose garden. It commemorates the 204 Jewish citizens of Kitzingen who were murdered in extermination camps during the Nazi regime.

The old Kitzingen cemetery was established in 1542 because the original "Gottesacker" was no longer sufficient. Even today, there are richly decorated graves from the 18th and 19th centuries. For years, the baroque grave of the Herold family repeatedly inspired young people to test their courage. A local myth claims that the tomb harbours the coffin and remains of Count Dracula. The tomb is strikingly decorated with motifs of death.

In front of you, you can already see the Falterturm with its leaning spire.

The Falterturm is not home to the city's butterfly collection; the name is derived from "Falltor", which means "fall gate". The round tower was built at the end of the 15th century as part of the outer defences. It had a slightly smaller counterpart. Both towers flanked one of the five town gates of Kitzingen, a "Falltor". It was accessible via a bridge that led over the moat, which has since been filled in. The smaller tower was demolished in the 19th century, as was most of the old town fortifications. The Falterturm is 52 metres high and has seven floors, on which the exhibits of the Fastnacht Museum were displayed until 2011. It has been closed since then for fire safety reasons.

The leaning spire has given rise to all kinds of speculation. One legend claims that the once straight tower bowed to the bride of an alderman's son at his wedding. Another says that the mortar was mixed with wine during the construction of the spire due to a shortage of water, but that the builders could not resist the temptation and drew from the wine barrels for their own "thirst". This is how the spire was set at an angle in the wine intoxication.

The structural explanation, according to which there was settlement and subsidence in the masonry, which caused the spire to lean, seems more realistic, but does not represent a structural risk.

After a few metres on Falterstraße, turn into Luitpoldstraße and you will see the architecturally interesting building of the German Carnival Museum and the adjacent Carnival Academy on your left.

Enchanting, colourful, rich in tradition, cheerful, poetic, magical, modern, historical, multi-layered and unique. These attributes all apply to the German Carnival Museum. It is the official museum of the German Carnival Association and has been in existence for 55 years. It has been located in the new premises in Luitpoldstraße since 2013.

The museum offers a very lively insight into historical and medieval customs surrounding carnival and the carnival season. And it's not just travelling back in time, you can also find out how international the rite of dressing up in masks is and how the socially defined roles are reversed and swapped for a few days a year. The collection of old masks and costumes is unique and of course witch or devil costumes look spooky. Most of the carnival rituals have their origins in Christian mysticism.

A special part of the permanent exhibition is the media room theatre, in which historical masks and costumes are allowed to "ghost" around and talk about themselves in a small virtual dispute.

At Königsplatz you will see the red sandstone obelisk, which was erected in the 19th century in honour of Ludwig II. Turn right into Schweizergasse and you will come to Marktstraße and the Kitzingen market square. There are two picnic basket vendors in this area, where you can pick up your pre-ordered basket and head towards the town balcony.

There are a few sights along the way.
The town hall was built in 1563 in the Renaissance style according to plans by Hans Eckart von Schaffhausen. The historic meeting room is particularly worth seeing. Next to the town hall, the market tower rises 39 metres high. As part of the inner city wall, it used to serve as a watchtower and prison. Today it houses the central archive of German carnival.
The St. Kilian's Fountain dates back to the 18th century and honours Saint Kilian, an Iro-Scottish missionary bishop who is revered as the Apostle of Franconia. From the market square, you have a view of Kitzingen's Protestant town church, which was first consecrated in 1699.
Your path towards the Main Bridge leads past the Conditorei Museum, which is definitely worth a visit. It is located in the "Poganietz House", one of the oldest town houses in the town.

The Old Main Bridge was first mentioned in 1300, when it was still a wooden structure. Over the course of the Middle Ages, it was gradually converted into a stone bridge. The renovation of the bridge at the beginning of the 16th century took 100 years. During this time, there was still a bridge tower, a bridge gate and the "Naschkorb", which was used to dip people who had stolen fruit into the Main as punishment. Today, the bridge connects the old town of Kitzingen with the Etwashausen district and takes you to the former garden show grounds and the town balcony, where you can enjoy your picnic with a romantic view of the old town.

The city balcony is part of the Kitzingen garden show site. The Small Garden Show was held in 2011 under the motto "Garden City by the River". The park was created for this along the Etwashäuser Main riverbank and is now a green oasis close to Kitzingen town centre. The city balcony is a popular picnic spot. During the summer months, the wooden deck is the venue for the weekly Stadtschoppen wine tasting event, which takes place from Thursdays to Sundays. Every week, a different winegrower from Franconia awaits guests to present selected wines.

The Franconian Winegrowers' Association, based in Kitzingen, is also represented every week with its wines. This is a great way to relax with a glass of wine in your hand, a good picnic and a sweeping view over the River Main. According to the legend of Kitzingen's founding, this is where Princess Hadeloga's veil was carried across the river by the wind. The young woman is said to have been so enchanted by the beauty of the landscape that she decided to found a monastery here. The foundation stone was to be laid where the veil was carried by the wind. A shepherd named Kitz found the veil and the place was named Kitzingen in his honour.

The town will soon be 1300 years old. From the town balcony you have a good view of the panorama of today's old town. Mighty willows provide cooling shade on hot summer days. There are play islands between fields of shrubs and groups of trees, which provide fun for children and adults alike. The entire garden show area is freely accessible all year round.

This time the route back will take you along the Lower Mainkai on the banks of the River Main in the city centre. At the Old Synagogue, turn right onto Landwehrstraße. The Old Synagogue is now used for cultural events. The restored building was reopened in 1993. It also houses a library with works on Judaism. The original synagogue from 1883 was burnt down in 1938 during the pogrom night. A prayer room commemorates this.

You now take the path through the city centre back to the station.