Traversed by the River Selz, Alzey is a historic town in the Rhenish Hesse region of the Rhineland-Palatinate. It is one of the “Nibelungenstädte”, a town associated with the German epic poem and home to the minstrel known as Volker von Alzey. As such, it is often referred to as “Volkerstadt”.
Things to do in Alzey
In the heart of town is Alzey Castle, which was originally established in the 13th century as a residence for the Rhenish Palsgraviate. It was rebuilt in the 19th century and now serves as a district courthouse. Alzey Castle also provides a setting for Da Capo!, an open-air festival that includes musical performances and comedy shows.
For a dose of local history, visit the Stadtverwaltung Alzey Museum, which occupies three floors of a historic hospital building. In addition to fossils discovered in the region, there are objects from the Bronze, Iron and Roman ages on display. Highlights of the museum include the exhibition dedicated to Volker von Alzeg and a display about the local viticultural pioneer, Georg Scheu.
On the southern edge of Alzey is the Wartbergturm, a 15th-century tower that was rebuilt after being destroyed during World War II. It originally served a military purpose and is credited with saving the residents of Alzey when all of the Allied bombs were mistakenly offloaded onto the tower. Today, the Wartbergturm is an observation spot that offers magnificent views across the countryside of Rhinehessen and the Palatinate.
Getting around Alzey
Alzey is around an hour’s drive from the centre of Frankfurt and 40 minutes from Frankfurt Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Regular trains connect to the Alzey and Alzey West railway stations and buses travel through the town. The centre of Alzey can easily be explored on foot.