Hammelburg

Yes, there really is a Hammelburg!

Most people haven't heard of Hammelburg, unless they watch Hogan's Heroes. And that's a shame, because it is a great spot to visit.

What to See

Castle Saaleck

Hotels

Maps

I decided to take a look at Hammelburg, because of my somewhat obsessive attachment to the TV show. What a surprise! A pretty little town of around 12,000 people, it lies in a picturesque valley in an ancient wine-growing region of Franconia in what is now the northwestern corner of the state of Bavaria.

For a Hogan's Heroes fan, the effect of getting off the train at the little railway station and seeing the sign "Hammelburg" is indescribable. From the Bahnhof, it is a short walk to the town center. The streets are narrow and winding and lead to the Markt, a large market square lined with attractive, pastel-colored buildings.

Hammelburg was fortunate during the war; there was no battle for the town and it wasn't damaged. It maintained its old look and now has a mixture of buildings from the Middle Ages through the 20th century, but the general appearance is that of a traditional, older German town. However, there was a fierce battle for Stalag 13 a few weeks before the end of the war. A very interesting story (see the Raid on Hammelburg).

What to See

The town has a small cluster of narrow, winding streets, with some pretty squares interspersed. Ancient walls and towers pop up here and there. On the western edge of town there is a large 18th century palace facing an ornamental pond filled with ducks.

Sections of the town wall and two guard towers date from the 12th century, and the older part of the town has some half-timbered houses built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Rathaus on the Markt was built in 1529, then rebuilt after a fire in 1856, and has a distinctive step-like facade.

The Tourist Information Office is in a building across the street from the Rathaus. The staff was very friendly and helpful; they have lots of information about the town, Lager Hammelburg and hiking and bicycle trails.

I went to the Rathaus to find out about getting onto the premises of Lager Hammelburg, as Stalag 13 is now called. A woman at the city hall was eager to help and accompanied me to the Tourist Office to find out about access to the military installation.

Talking to the camp office, she learned that it was possible to walk through parts of it, though other parts are fenced off as a restricted military area because of the Bundeswehr Infantry School. The prisoners' graveyard was in the accessible area.

I was told that all the American prisoners buried there had been moved back to the States and that only the Russian prisoners still had graves there. I took the bus out to the Lager (camp) and had a look around. (see information on Stalag 13)

Outside of town, up a steep path climbing the vineyards behind the hospital, is Hammelburg's Mystery. Some years ago, life-size human sculptures started appearing high on the hill at intervals of a year or so.

No one knows who made them or why, or how these extremely heavy statues got up there. The figures are those of a man sitting in a chair, a woman dancing with a child, and a woman looking out at the valley. Very strange, but beautiful. The view from that spot is worth the trek to the top.


On the road into town from the Bahnhof, there is an interesting museum, Stadt Museum Herrenmühle, about the history of local wine-making and bread-making. The museum is in an old mill with the stream and mill wheel nearby.

Castle Saaleck

Just outside of town high on a hill is the medieval castle of Burg Saaleck. I walked there in about ten minutes and made the steep climb up to the castle. The building is in good shape and houses a reasonably-priced hotel, which would be fun to stay in if you were traveling by car. A winding staircase takes you to the top of the tower and is definitely worth the effort. What a view!

From the tower you can look out at the delightful Franconian countryside and see the town of Hammelburg below. The valley is carpeted with lush farmland and small villages; the steep hillsides are covered with vineyards. Hammelburg is known as the oldest wine town in Franconia; people have been making wine here since the year 900. (The vineyards photos above were taken from the hill with the mystery figures.)

Where to Stay

The Tourist Office can provide names of available hotels or rooms. I stayed in a pleasant, old-fashioned hotel right on the Markt, Gasthof-Hotel Zum Engel. The hotel is quite old, but well-maintained, quiet and clean (of course, it's Germany). The owners were friendly and the price was very reasonable. There was an excellent restaurant in the hotel, homey and comfortable, where the delicious breakfast buffet was also served.

There were two other hotels on the Markt as well, along with three other restaurants. Quite a lot of choice for such a small town, though I can highly recommend Zum Engel. Gasthof Zum Hirschen on the Markt had a rustic, gemütlich dining room with hearty German cooking and a jolly crowd of regulars.

There were a handful of German tourists in town; as far as I could tell, they were there for the hiking and biking trails, and also the Franconian wine. One couple I talked to said that this was a good area for bike trips.

It is certainly a lovely area and the white wine was excellent, especially the Bacchus and Sylvaner varieties. There are several winemaker shops in town that sell the local wines, and of course they are available in all the restaurants.

Getting to Hammelburg

Hammelburg is only about 50 miles (80 km) east of Frankfurt, though it feels like it is deep in the countryside. With a car, it would be a fairly short drive from Frankfurt; it is also easy to reach by train. The town is on a branch line which connects with the main lines via Gemünden to the south or Schweinfurt to the east.

Map of Hammelburg

Hammelburg

Read about the History of Stalag 13 or Stalag 13 Today.