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| Wangen in the Allgäu | ||
| federal state | Baden-Wuerttemberg | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 26.905 (2019) | |
| height | 556 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Wangen in the Allgäu is a city in Westallgäu. The historic old town with interesting historic buildings, some richly decorated, bourgeois half-timbered and "plastered" houses, is a popular tourist destination. In 2015, the city celebrated 1200 years because it was first mentioned in a St. Gallen document. In addition, the State Garden Show 2024 will take place here.
background
Wangen in the Allgäu is one of the pearls of the southern German small towns. The connections from Lake Constance (Lindau, Bregenz) to the north, from the Schussental to Kempten, which were important in earlier times, met here. The place developed from an Alemannic hamlet into a city in the course of the High Middle Ages. The first mention was made in 815 in a St. Gallen document. The elevation to the market took place around the 1150th century - perhaps already a settlement in the area of today's market square and St. Martin's Church. Under Emperor Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen, Wangen received special protection rights as a city in 1217, probably to round off the Hohenstaufen power. Emperor Rudolf II confirmed the imperial immediacy in 1286. 1802, Wangen went to the then Duchy of Baiern in the course of the mediatization of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1810 to the Kingdom of Württemberg. Initially an administrative center, Wangen became a district town in the 20th century with the license plate number WG. Since 1972, Wangen has been part of the Ravensburg district as a major district town.
Wangen's relative prosperity originally came from growing flax and weaving linen. With the large-scale industrial extraction (USA, Egypt, India) and above all the processing of cotton since the 19th century, the milk and cheese industry gained great importance. At the same time, the ERBA (cotton spinning mill Erlangen-Bamberg) settled in Wangen and, along with the pulp factory, temporarily became the city's most important employer, but cheese also gained economic importance through the Wiedemann brothers (Adler -käse) and the GEG. Both companies have not existed for a long time. The ERBA itself was wound up in the 1980s. The last descendant was the Neue Textilwerke Wangen (NTW) as a supplier. These were closed in 2015.
Today Wangen lives from a mix of medium-sized companies and, with a view of the old town, from tourism. In addition to the overall well-groomed appearance of the old town, this is primarily due to the comparatively large number of individual shops, which can still fight off the influx of chain stores and chains.
getting there
By plane
The nearest airports are the Friedrichshafen Airport
(IATA: FDH), Direct connections to Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, among others) and the Memmingen Airport(IATA: FMM), exclusively international tourist destinations).
By train
The 1 Wangen railway station is about one kilometer northwest of the old town. Regional trains operate on the Memmingen - Lindau (Lake Constance) route. The next long-distance train stations are Lindau (Bodensee), Memmingen and Ulm.
By bus
The 2 Long-distance bus stop in Wangen is at the bus station, platform 7 at the station forecourt.
In the street
Wangen is located directly on the A96 (formerly B18) Munich - Lindau and on the B32 Hechingen / Ravenburg - near Lindenberg), so it represents a traffic junction. From the north it is best to take the A7 to the Memmingen junction there on the A96 bis Wangen Nord and then via the L320. From the northeast (Munich) follow the A96, from the east (Kempten) the B12 to Hergatz and then the B32. From the south, the L320 and A96 (exit Wangen West then B32) lead to your destination To the west, the B32 is the most important feeder.
Wangen has been connected to the long-distance bus network since 2014. More details under My long-distance bus
By bicycle
Wangen is on the supraregional Danube-Lake Constance cycle path, 5 km south in Hergatz one meets the Lake Constance-Koenigssee cycle path
mobility
In the old town there are around 90 chargeable, mostly occupied parking spaces. These are all marked.
It is better to be guided by the parking guidance system. P1 (fairground) is free on Saturdays, the generally free parking lot closest to the old town is P14 and is located at the Argencenter. A multi-storey car park (P11) is located on Bahnhofstrasse.
Tourist Attractions
- Old town - This is what makes Wangen as a listed ensemble with still numerous own shops first and foremost. The townscape is determined by alternating eaves and gable houses, some with facade paintings from different eras. The different rows of houses are another attraction. Herrenstrasse is dominant, but Paradiesstrasse and Bindstrasse also offer very attractive perspectives. The three squares are worth seeing: Marktplatz, Saumarkt and Postplatz.
- Tavern boom Forged tavern brackets, some of which are said to originate from the Baroque era, shine on many of the façades. Some have been reinterpreted or placed in a different, more prominent place. Their multitude, however, suggests an inn culture lost in the crowd.
- Fountain Wangen has a large number of fountains, which enrich the image of the city with cool water.
- 1 Town hall on the market square - The house was built in the 15th century. In 1721 the town hall was given its current baroque appearance. The so-called Pfaffenturm, a city gate from the 14th century (also known as the "Ratsloch"), is built on.
- Gates of the former city wall
Four city gates can be seen on the town plaque by Johann Andreas Rauch (1611) and also on the engraving by Matthäus Merian. Two of them, the St.-Georgs-Tor (at the end of Bindstraße) and the St.-Peters- or Esels-Tor (in Schmiedstraße by the Eselmühle) were demolished in the mid-1830s. Both are 'immortalized' in the road surface today.
- Ratloch or Pfaffenloch, the city gate of the first city fortifications already mentioned, connects to the town hall to the north. It lost its importance with the walling of the Bündt - the lower town in the 16th century.
- 2 Martinstor, also Lindauer Tor. The "Svegelars Gate" was built in the first phase of urban development between the 13th and 14th centuries. Its current form dates from later times up to the 18th century. The paintings are interesting: a late ma in the gate. Sgrafitto from the gallows, as well as the frescoes by August Braun with depictions of the legend of Martin, the history of the town and two important sons of Wangen - Ulrich Rösch and Rupertus Ness.
- 3 Frauentor or Ravensburger Tor. The current shape goes back to the baroque period. The building itself probably dates from the first phase of expansion of the city in the 15th century. To the left and right of the Queen of Heaven Maria sees the founding lords of the city: on the left Emperor Friedrich II, on the right Emperor Rudolf I.
Places
- Marketplace - Central point of the city, designed in a trapezoidal shape, delimited on three sides by St. Martin's Church, Town Hall and Hinderofen House. There is also the largest of the Wangen fountains, the Martinsbrunnen. The square got its current shape with the construction of the churchyard wall in the early 1980s.
- Postplatz - Overlooked by the town hall as well as the choir and tower of Martinskirche, a square that has been shaped by buildings since the late 19th century.
- Sow market - Perhaps the most attractive place in terms of the urban ambience, also towered over by the tower of Martinskirche, it offers a great urban perspective from the south.
Individual structures
- 4 Hinderofenhaus Renaissance building from the 16th century by the Hinderofen merchant family on the market square. Facility with inner courtyard, can be visited during the day. Refurbishment, among other things, in the 30s and 70s. Temporary use as a monastery, district administration and tax office. Today partly used by the city administration and adult education center, partly by gastronomy. The inner courtyard, which was renovated in the 1930s, can be viewed during the day
- 5 Holy Spirit Hospital - actually a citizen's hospital for the Holy Spirit, an urban retirement home that has been in existence since 1440. The baroque hospital church was extensively restored after the turn of the millennium and contains, among other works of art, a 'Jesus in the dungeon', which was also the destination of pilgrimages for a long time.
- 6 Weavers' guild house - Only the renovation of the dilapidated property in the 90s brought a jewel to light. Sgraffitos on the upper floor and an old tiled stove are the unique highlights from an art-historical point of view in the architectural relic, which is rare of its kind. The jewel can be visited in connection with the many guided tours of the city.
- 7 House Sigerist Herrenstraße 15. four-storey town house, eaves with a late Gothic stepped gable. Inside partly furnished in baroque style. Privately owned, not open to the public.
- 8 Kornhaus Postplatz. Today used by the library, town planning and building law office. It originated in the 15th century, but the interior has been greatly changed and rebuilt in accordance with the necessities of the new use at the beginning of the 1980s.
- 9 Knight house today, among other things, city treasury. Classicist building by Franz Anton Bagnato in 1789. Today used as the city treasury. At least the stairwell can be visited during party traffic.
- 10 Drinking arbor Half-timbered building with Franconian characteristics with origins in the 16th century, renovated several times. A fire hit the inside of the building in April 2013. The preparatory work for a renovation is in progress.
Museum landscape
- 11 Donkey mill - The mill was built in 1568 and was in operation until 1937. Inside, the museum shows a multicolored cross-section of the history of the town and house and also conveys the living conditions over the centuries with residential furnishings from different epochs.
- Cheese Museum Right at the beginning of the battlements, the flax and cheese museum is attached to the donkey mill. Numerous exhibits paint a picture of the earlier success factors of the Wangen economy, as flax - the basis for linen - and cheese - today also a chapter almost closed for Wangen - enjoyed great importance.
- Eichendorff Museum Located at the end of the battlements, this small part of the tour is the legacy of the Silesians who settled in Wangen after 1945. Typically furnished Biedermeier rooms as well as an abundance of books against an impression of the lifestyle and lifestyle of the post-Napoleonic period in Germany. The Gustav Freytag Archive is also located in the same building.
- 12 Powder tower Baroque shaped corner tower of the late medieval-early modern city wall. Today used in the city, part of the Wangen museum landscape.
- Bathroom Medieval relic of a special kind at the end of the museum tour. Its existence was due to poverty as the great keeper of many old buildings. Rather by chance, students from the Rupert Neß grammar school dug up the remains of this institution, which was typical of the Middle Ages. Today the bathing room represents the most important part of the Wangen museum landscape. Numerous figures and various exhibits make the former goings-on visible and tangible.
- Printing Museum Lange Gasse - not far from the powder tower. Insights and overviews of another lost craft. Viewing and printouts can be requested from the guest office.
- Grocery store A few steps further you can see another lost piece of the city in a shop window: a grocer or grocery store as it looked three generations ago.
- city wall Even if only a few original parts have been preserved, mostly to be seen as a reconstruction, it still shows a certain ability to defend itself. More or less original, partly reconstructed parts can be found in the guild corner behind the weavers' guild house and by the donkey mill. There it is also accessible as part of the local history museum. However, this was never really tried.
- Facade paintings They partly determine the color of the cityscape. Fragments of early paintings can be found in the Martinstor, on the outside of the Ratloch and on the house at Spitalstraße 25. Some of the work was much later August Braun and Toni Schönecker. Unfortunately, to date there is no documentation on the sometimes unusual facade designs.
Churches and chapels
- 13 City parish church of St. Martin - Evidence of predecessor buildings dating back to around the 9th century, built in its current form in the 13th century. Apse with Gothic cross-ribbed vault, nave characterized by a Romanesque feeling of space. Baroque interior from the 17th century, main altar and choir stalls neo-Gothic. Color of the longship arches reconstructed according to archaeological findings. The organ loft was relocated in the 1980s. Frescoes with the legend of Martin and the Last Judgment of Gebhard Fugel.
- 14 Holy Spirit Hospital Church - erected in 1732. Significant over time the pilgrimage to "Jesus in the dungeon" with some votive tablets. Ceiling painting by Gebhard Fugel.
- 15 Ortisei - Second parish church in Wangens in the urban expansion area of Waltersbühl. Typical post-war modern building.
- 16 St.Rochus - Cemetery chapel in the old church. A baroque building with a 'Bible for the Poor' means pictorial representations of biblical events and the so-called rosary medallions. The surrounding Gottesacker was the city's cemetery until 1912 and has never been closed. The facility is currently being fundamentally refurbished and restored. The chapel can be visited from May to October at 2 p.m. as part of a guided tour. Interestingly, the cemetery chapel is a sought-after place for church weddings.
- Churchyard For almost 500 years until 1912, the city's dead were buried in the churchyard. Later, the city government tried to conceptually profanate it as a city park, which unfortunately led to less than nice conditions as a party zone and many complaints against the city. The cemetery, which was never closed, has been fundamentally renovated since 2015.
- 17 St. Wolfgang - today the chapel of the new cemetery. Late Gothic building with simple, baroque furnishings. Various works by Wangen artists can be found in the vicinity of the chapel. Willibrod Blaser created a crucifixion group at the end of the former main path. The Stations of the Cross leading to the Wolfgang Chapel are works by Josef Braun. More here: Art on Sankt Wolfgang
- 18 St. Vincent - Chapel of the old people's home of the same name, built in the 1970s based on Corbusier and other modern architects. The modern bronze statue of the risen Savior is very beautiful. The surrounding retirement home is a very interesting ensemble as a modern building.
- 19 Saddle Chapel of St. Nicholas and Leprosy House - first mentioned around 1446. Simple baroque furnishings. During renovations, frescos were exposed. The former infirmary is now used by restaurants. As in many places outside the cities, infirmaries were built to isolate diseases that were not understood at the time and their victims. More on: Culture in cheeks
Viewpoints
At the following points you have a beautiful view of Wangen and partly also of the Alps:
- 20 Viewing platform at the Berger Höhe ski lift with a metal panorama map. When the weather is good, the view extends from the Bavarian to the Swiss Alps.
- 21 Wasserbuckel in Waltersbühl near the Praßbergschule above the Wermeisterweg.
Worth seeing outside the city limits
- 22 Praßberg ruins More or less well secured remnants of the seat of the Praßberg dynasty, who exercised some influence in the region as bailiffs. The keep was restored a few years ago.
- 23 Chapel of St. Nicholas in Antermoia. Romanesque building, can only be viewed by appointment.
- 24 Neuravensburg ruin Built at the end of the 12th century by the Counts of Argengau, destroyed in the Peasants' War in 1525. It was rebuilt from 1614 to 1617 by Abbot Bernhard Müller of the St. Gallen Monastery and expanded into a castle. In 1836 the castle was sold for demolition and partially demolished from 1837 to 1845. More here: Neuravensburg castle ruins on wikipedia
- 25 Ratzenried ruins The building dates back to the 12th century and has been changed and expanded several times. In 1632 the Swedes burned the castle down. Today the remains belong to the Waldburg Zeil house. More here: Ruin Ratzenried on wikipedia
- 26 Leupolz ruins Remains of a hilltop castle. The castle, built before 1229 by the Lords of Leupolz, Ministeriale of St. Gallen Monastery, was mentioned in 1229, destroyed in 1389, rebuilt from 1455 and burned down on June 24, 1624 by a lightning strike. The foundation walls of the former castle complex with a rectangular tower, circular wall and two buildings are still preserved. Source: Burgrest Leupolz on Wikipedia
activities
In summer
- hike - There are numerous around cheeks regional hiking trails - Link to wangen.de.
- Swimming - Next to the 1 Stephanshöhe outdoor pool there are some bathing lakes around cheeks:
- 2 Tube mossTube moss Natural pond with a well-developed infrastructure and campsite
- 27 Elitzer See Natural pond without infrastructure
- 28 Blausee Moor pond without infrastructure
- tennis Wangen has two tennis clubs:
- TC Wangen 1903, Max Fischer Strasse. On the facility with eleven red sand courts, there are almost always places available, especially during the day. The tennis hall on Pfannerstrasse also belongs to the club.
- TC red-white cheeks, Pfannerstrasse.
- To go biking Wangen's surroundings with many small streets are ideal for cycling. Overview on wangen.de
- labyrinthlabyrinth
In the winter
- Cross-country skiing - When the snow conditions are good (usually December-March), cross-country trails are groomed around Wangen. An overview can be found here. Cross-country skis cannot be rented in Wangen, the nearest rental stations are in Lindenberg and Ravensburg
- To ski - In good snow conditions, you can ski on the Berger Höhe. There is another, less demanding ski hump at Amtzell. For higher demands, you can indulge in skiing desires at Maierhöfen, around Oberstaufen or in Vorarlberg.
Celebrations and events
- On Rose Monday there is traditionally a carnival parade through the old town of Wangen. The "Wangemer Fasnet" begins on "Gumpigen Thursday" with the setting of the tree of fools and ends with the cutting of the same on the following Tuesday.
- On the Advent weekends, the Wangen Christmas market takes place in the old town
- In the summer in the Zunftwinkel the Wangen Festival instead, a small theater festival with plays that are played on a small open-air stage.
- The earlier children's festival on the first weekend of the summer holidays also has a long tradition.
- The music night in early June and in mid-July, the salsa night with a dealer flea market and the old town run have been firmly established.
- The cultural night as well as the celebration of the partnership with Prato is a highlight in summer at the beginning of August.
- On the third Sunday in September, the oldest cycling criterion in Germany will rise in Wangen. In addition to the many exciting races on the suburban circuit, there is also a hive of activity in the old town.
Church festivals
- When the weather is good, the Easter vigil begins with the lighting of the Easter fire on the market square.
- The Ösch procession on Ascension Day.
- The Corpus Christi procession followed by a crouch in the Kellhof.
shop
Wangen im Allgäu is a shopping town in which there are still a few owner-operated shops of various types that have otherwise become rare.
- Groceries: In and around the old town there are five bakeries, three butchers, five fruit and vegetable shops and two small supermarkets.
- Weekly markets: Wednesday market in the pedestrian zone from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday market at Saumarkt from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- In addition, there is a wide range of options in the old town. Well-stocked booksellers, furnishing, 'radio', 'lifestyle' and shoe shops, watch and jewelry shops, also goldsmiths, plus boutiques with widely differing demands, pottery and flower shops and the inevitable mobile phone shops complete the offer.
- Medical supplies: three pharmacies and a medical supply store ensure supplies within the city walls.
kitchen
- Fidelisbäck, Paradiesstraße 3, D-88239 Wangen im Allgäu. Tel.: 49 75 22 79 5931. Open: Daily from 6:00 a.m. (Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. - only in shops) until 10:00 p.m. - Bakery and restaurant, inexpensive cuisine, specialty of warm meat loaf
- Café Moritz
- Ice cream parlor Capri, Herrenstraße 30. Homemade ice cream made entirely from natural ingredients. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (table service) and street sales until 9 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.
- Kempter wine bar, Bindstrasse. - local, home cooking
- Gasthaus zum Lamm, Bindstrasse. - local, home cooking
- Gasthaus zum Rad, Bindstrasse 23. Tel.: 4975229733884. - local, home cooking
- Geiger wine bar, Bindstrasse.
- Ristorante Romatica, Karlsstrasse.
- Ristorante da Franco, Saumarkt. Tel.: 49 7522 913 433.
- Gasthaus zum Baumgarten Schillerstrasse - regional cuisine a little different
- Gasthaus Sattel Lindauer Straße at the end of the village - sophisticated regional cuisine
- Gasthaus Adler Deuchelried - fine dining
- Gasthaus Krone Niederwangen - Swabian food
- Gasthaus Sonne Hatzenweiler - Pizzeria, Italian cuisine
- Weinstadel Rimmele Hiltensweiler - good home cooking
- Inn Roessle Oflings - Swabian, good middle-class
- To the Starz Ratzenried Bahnhof - good middle-class
nightlife
The restaurants and bars in the city are open until midnight to 1 a.m. A disco no longer exists, with the exception of themed events in the Weinstadel Rimmele.
accommodation
Hotels / pensions
- Mohrenpost
- Hotel Allgovia - Scherrichmühlweg
- Hotel Garni Am Engelberg - Leutkircher Strasse
- Waltersbühl house - Max Fischer Street
outside
- Farny Hotel - Düren, not far from the motorway exit Wangen Nord
ApartmentsThere are a number of holiday apartments in and around Wangen, including "Farm Holidays". There are various pages on the Internet with further information.
General linkAccommodation in Wangen im Allgäu
health
- Oberschwabenklinik Hospital Wangen
- Specialist Clinic Wangen
- Medical center, Siemensstrasse
Pharmacies
- Pharmacy am Waltersbühl, Am Waltersbühl 20
- Pharmacy in the health center, Siemensstrasse 12
- Engel Pharmacy, Gegenbaur Str. 21
- Rochus Pharmacy, Herrenstrasse 22
- St. Martinsapotheke, Bindstrasse 49
- Staufen pharmacy, Martins-Torplatz 4
Practical advice
The urban one Guest Office is located on Bindstrasse, not far from Milchpilz / Klosterbergstrasse opposite. Karlstraße there is an interactive room directory.
The post office is located on Lindauer Straße. There are also various postal acceptance points in different markets. Südmail has a mailbox at the SZ office on Eselberg.
trips
The Wangen area offers many destinations for excursions. There are some castle ruins or castle sites in the municipality:
- Praßberg ruins - about bag sow
- Chapel of St. Nicholas in Antermoia. Romanesque building, can only be viewed by appointment.
- Neuravensburg ruin
- Ratzenried ruins and Ratzenried Castle
- Leupolz ruins - rather just more foundation walls.
- Argent confluence at Pfegelberg
Outside the municipal area, people like to visit:
- Kisslegg Worth seeing: the old castle (private property, visiting as far as I know not possible) and the new castle, city parish church and the cemetery church
- Forest castle a castle from the 12th century (about 15 km northeast)
- Ravensburg District town of great historical character (25 km to the west)
- Lindau ma. to baroque island town in Lake Constance (20 km south-east)
- Vineyard there especially the baroque one, which has since been repealed monastery with the large basilica built by Joseph Schmuzer (25 km northeast)
- Eistobel at Maierhöfen, a natural spectacle in all seasons (approx. 20 km east)
- Treetop path "Skywalk Allgäu" at Scheidegg (about 15 km south)
In addition to the Stephanshöhe outdoor pool, there are also various bathing lakes in the vicinity:
- 29 Tube moss Natural pond with a well-developed infrastructure and campsite
- 30 Elitzer See Natural pond without infrastructure
- 31 Blausee Moor pond without infrastructure
literature
- History of the city of Wangen - Dr. A. Scheuerle, Verlag Walchner, only antiquarian
- 1200 years of Wangen - Chronicle - Dr. R. Jensch, art publisher Josef Fink
- Wangen in the Allgäu - Kunstführer Verlag Steiner and Schnell
Web links
- http://www.wangen.de - Official website of Wangen im Allgäu
- Economic development agency Wangen im Allgäu
- wangenonline.de - private business portal
