One Day in Limburg an der Lahn: Day Trip from Frankfurt
Nestled along the Lahn River is the picturesque and historical town of Limburg an der Lahn. If looking for easy day trips from Frankfurt, then Limburg an der Lahn is one of the best and authentic German towns to visit. With its cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and famous cathedral, Limburg an der Lahn is a must visit and one of my favorite towns. Here is how I spent one day in Limburg an der Lahn from Frankfurt.
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Limburg an der Lahn is located in the German State of Hesse. The city is next to the River Lahn, hence the name Limburg an der Lahn, an der Lahn meaning on the River Lahn.
From Cologne (Köln in German) Limburg an der Lahn is about an hour and fifteen minutes drive or an hour train ride. You can get here from Frankfurt as well under an hour drive or 30-minute train ride. Because of its location, Limburg an der Lahn makes for a great day trip from Frankfurt.
Getting here from Frankfurt
Limburg an der Lahn is roughly 63 km from Frankfurt making it an easy day trip.
If driving, Limburg an der Lahn is located right off of the A3. If coming from Frankfurt Airport, just stay on the A3 until exiting to Limburg an der Lahn. If coming from downtown Frankfurt the A648 and A66 connect to the A3.
From Frankfurt Airport, you can take the ICE train directly to Limburg Sud. Travel time is under 20 minutes.
From Frankfurt Hbf you can take an ICE train. The journey by ICE is about 40 minutes with a couple stops.
Once getting to Limburg, if driving, there are a few park houses near the old town center.
How I spent One Day in Limburg: Things to do and See
Limburg an der Lahn is a medium sized city with a population just over 35,000. It’s big enough where you can spend a half to full day here. Jill and I visited Limburg while on a road trip from the North Sea back to Frankfurt Airport. We were able to spend a few hours here. We grabbed lunch, checked out some of the sites, and even met a friend from neighboring Wiesbaden.
Of course, the day we visited Limburg an der Lahn it rained, heavy at times most of the day, typical for German weather. Listed, is how we spent one day in Limburg an der Lahn and my recommendations on things to do.
Limburg an der Lahn Altstadt
Limburg an der Lahn has one of the prettiest and most well preserved town square’s I’ve ever seen in Germany. Many Altstadt’s or old towns I’ve visited in Germany have a nice square with a few half timber-framed houses. It seemed that most houses in Limburg an der Lahn were half timbered homes. They lined the small cobble stone streets throughout the entire town.
My basic recommending when visiting Limburg is to walk the old streets and pay attention to the timber-framed houses. In German, these homes are know as Fachwerk houses.
Other then looking at the beautiful buildings throughout the town, there are plenty of shops and restaurants.
Limburg Cathedral (Dom zu Limburg)
Besides the fachwerk or timbered homes scattered throughout Limburg, the next main attraction is the Limburg Cathedral (aka Dom zu Limburg, Limburger Dom, St. George’s Cathedral).
The Limburg Cathedral is a massive cathedral with stunning architecture. It is perched on a rock located above the Lahn River. You can see the Cathedral from a distance.
There has been a church at this site since the early to mid 800’s. Over the years it developed into what it is today.
The cathedral combines Roman and Gothic styles and has a total of seven spires.
Today, visitors can freely walk inside the church. When I was here, there was a wedding going on and they still allowed me to enter the cathedral.
Like most famous sites you want to see in Europe, there was scaffolding on the towers at the time I visited (July, 2024). Don’t you hate that?
Schloss Limburg
Schloss Limburg (Schloss meaning Castle), is a small castle just behind the Limburg Cathedral. The castle dates back to around 910.
When visiting, we just walked the perimeter of the castle and briefly walked into the courtyard. I am not sure if visitors are allowed inside or not. Nonetheless, from the courtyard you get nice views of the nature surrounding Limburg.
Lunch or Dinner at a Local Restaurant
Chances are, if you are visiting Limburg an der Lahn for a half or full day, you are going to want to sit down and try local German food.
I recommend heading to Gasthaus Burgkeller for the atmosphere alone and good German meals like schnitzel or Sauerbraten.
Gasthaus Burgkeller is a restaurant in a 17th century timber-framed building. Dining inside was an experience, just seeing what the inside of these historic buildings look like let alone being able to eat inside one.
I ordered a Jäger Schnitzel with pommes (french fries). Honestly, it was not the best schnitzel I’ve ever had but it was still very good, especially paired with a good German beer.
Since we were leaving toward the airport later in the day, I wanted to eat one more Spaghetti Eis. We went to a ice cream shop in the town center called Eiscafe Venezia. I ordered their Spaghetti Eis, although it was very good, I felt the service at this place lacked a bit. Our waiters just seemed very uninterested in providing service that day. At least the Spaghetti Eis was good!
Conclusion
Limburg an der Lahn was a very surprising destination. Prior to doing research I’ve never looked into visiting this beautiful city, it just never crossed my radar. After all there are so many beautiful cities in Germany. I’ve driven passed Limburg an der Lahn so many times growing up. I remember seeing the cathedral off in the distance from the autobahn. I am so glad to have finally stopped here for a day. Limburg an der Lahn is a beautiful city and underrated in my opinion. I definitely have plans to visit again when I am back in Germany.
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