Germany: from Worms to Bad Wimpfen
- Gary Crallé
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 8
As one of the oldest cities in northern Europe (and arguably, Germany) Worms is probably best known as the site of Martin Luther's defiance of the Catholic Church in 1521 and the resulting Protestant Reformation.
Our own visit might be described as heretical due to our speedy passage through the city to keep to a schedule. Note to self: in future, always spend at least 2-3 days exploring places of interest. The difference will be, well, like night and day views of Worms Cathedral.
In a stretch of residential parkland not far from the cathedral you'll find a sculpture of Luther and associated figures — the world's largest monument to the Reformation. Compared to major tourist sites, It seemed odd no one was there mid-day Sunday except a couple of Canadian visitors. And where's the graffiti?
We also stumbled onto a huge outdoor flea market near the Niebelungen Bridge where traffic flows through an impressive city gate of the same name. Leaving the market dust behind, we headed for the historic spa town of Bad Wimpfen plus some unexpected aggravation.
Bad means bath in German ie. a spa. As far back as 1867 Mark Twain had noted the uptik in spa activities in Bad Wimpfen. But not for us, in part because we lost precious time due to phone problems when searching for our accommodation. Finally, thanks to the helpful staff from an Italian restaurant, we managed to locate our lodgings. Bad Wimpfen Altstadt - ruhige, private Unterkunft (I know, it's a mouthful) was a charming renovated medieval home a mere cabbage toss from town centre.
Proprietor Eva is a caring, generous lady who spent ample time describing the town sights to us. She put out enough toiletries to last a month, even providing new tooth brushes. We found her through booking.com, but you can book directly by texting (preferably in German) to +4970638707 if you enjoy small, quiet spaces.
That night under a full moon I leaned out our window to make a time exposure of an adjacent building. Isn't that fitting in a village with its own extended timeline?
Early next morning we breakfasted with residents and workmen at a nearby bakery, then did an extensive walkabout before retrieving our vehicle to drive eastward for a reunion with family 45 minutes past Stuttgart.
Photos and text
© Gary Crallé
2025
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