59. From Cassel to Frankfort on the Main.
Railway in 4 1/2—8 hrs.; fares 5 Thlr. 12, 3 Thlr. 18, 2 Thlr. 8 Sgr. (From Berlin to Frankfort by express in 11 hrs.; fares 16 Thlr. 1, 11 Thlr.
From Berlin to Oschersleben and Kreiensen, see pp. 59—62; to Cassel p. 85.
At stat. Wilhelmshöhe the line intersects the avenue (p. 83). Guntershausen (*Rail. Restaurant ; *Bellevue) is the junction of the, Eisenach (R. 46) line. The Frankfort line crosses the Edder. Near Gensungen the abrupt Heiligenberg rises to the l., and the lofty tower of the Felsberg (1375 ft.) to the r.; farther on, at the confluence of the Schwalm and the Edder, stands the Altenburg. To the r, in the background is the ruin of Gudensberg. The picturesque valley of the Schwalm is now entered. Wabern is the station for Wildungen, a watering-place 7 1/2 M. to the W. Stations Borken, Zimmersrode, and Treisa, where the Schwalm is quitted. The ruin of Ziegenhain is 1 1/2 M. to the E.
On a wooded eminence to the l., beyond stat. Neustadt, lies the ancient town of Amöneburg, the venerable church of which was founded by St. Boniface. At Kirchhain the line approaches the Ohm, which falls into the Lahn near Marburg, and soon afterwards crosses the Lahn.
Marburg (*Hôtel Pfeiffer; *Ritter; *Rail. Restaurant), a small town with 8500 inhab., on the Lahn, is charmingly situated in a semicircle round the precipitous Schlossberg The University, now attended by 350 students, was the first founded (by Philip the Generous, in 1527) without papal privileges.
The chief boast of Marburg is the *Church of St. Elisabeth, erected in 1235-83 in the purest Gothic style and restored in 1860, affording an admirable example of the impressiveness of this style without the adjunct of rich decoration. W. towers 310 ft. in height.
Soon after the death of St. Elizabeth (in 1231, in her 24th year), daughter of King Andreas II. of Hungary, and wife of the Landgrave Lewis of Thuringia, the church was erected over her tomb, which attracted mul- itudes of pilgrims from every part of Europe. The Emp. Frederick II., one of these devotees, caused a crown of gold to be placed on the head o the saint, whose remains were deposited in a richly decorated silver-gilt sarcophagus. The Landgrave Philip (founder of (he university), in order to put an end to the pilgrimages, caused the bones to be removed and in- terred in an unknown spot in the church. The sarcophagus is still pre- served in the sacristy near the high altar. In 1810 the French carried it off to Cassel and despoiled it of its jewels, but it was restored to Marburg in 1814. The mortuary chapel is adorned With a carved representation of the Coronation of the Virgin, and winged pictures by Dürer (?); in the interior the Nativity and Death of Mary; ancient carving and pictures by Dürer at the four side-altars. Numerous monuments of Hessian princes and knights of the Teutonic Order are preserved in the S. transept.
The Lutheran Church, on a terrace commanding a fine view, finely proportioned structure of the 15th cent., contains several monuments of Landgraves aud other princes. — The Rathhaus was erected in 1512.
The extensive and well preserved Schloss (876 ft.), to which a steep road ascends from the church of St. Elizabeth in 20 min., was a residence of the princes of Hessen in the 15th and 16th cen- turies, and afterwards a state-prison. It is now judiciously restored and contains the valuable Hessian archives. The fine Gothic chapel and the Rittersaal are worthy of inspection. In the latter the fa- mous disputation between Luther, Zwingli, Melanchthon, and other reformers took place in 1529. They met, on the invitation of Philip the Generous, with a view to adjust their differences regarding the Eucharist, but the attempt proved a failure owing to the tenacity with which Luther adhered to the precise words, ‘Hoc est corpus meum’, which he wrote in large letters on the wall. Beautiful views from the Schloss and Bücking’s Garden, at the Schlossthor. The traveller may then descend to the town by the other side (1/2 hr.), where several fine views are enjoyed.
Environs. Good paths, provided with finger-posts, lead to a number of other beautiful points of view. The Spiegelalust (1201 ft), a height above the station, is ascended in 40 min.; morning lights most favourable. On the l, bank of the Lahn aro the (1 hr.) Lichte Küppel (1203 ft.) and the Frauenberg (1240 ft.) with a ruined castle. A pleasant shady road leads to the latter in 2 hrs. (carr. 3 Thlr.) — On the r. bank, above the church of St. Elizabeth, rises the oak-clad Kirchspitze (1050 ft.), from which forest paths lead to the quarries of Wehrda. The Dammelsberg, at the back of the Schloss is embellished with pleasure- grounds. To the S., beyond the village of Ockershausen in Dreyer's Quelle (tavern and view)? 2 M. from the town.
The line follows the fertile valley of the Lahn till Giessen is reached. On an eminence beyond stat. Fronhausen, to the l., rise the ruins of Stauffenberg (a fine point of view, 1 1/4 M. from Lollar). Beyond stat. Lollar the castle of Gleiberg is seen to the r. in th distance; still farther distant, Fetsberg. Beyond Giessen, 2 M. to the S. E. of the town, rises Schloss Schiffenberg, the property of the grand-duke of Hessen, once a lodge of the Teutonic Order (extensive view from the the summit).
Giessen (*Kuhne, near the station, R. from 48 kr., B. 24 kr.; *Einhorn; Rappe; Prinz Carl; beer and fine view at the Felsen- keller), on the Lahn, a town chiefly of modern origin, with 10,241 inhab., is the seat of a university, founded in 1607 (400 stud.}.
From Giessen to Coblenz railway in 3 3/4 hrs. fares 3 Thlr. 13 1/2, 2 Thlr. 1 Thir. 11 Sgr. (see Baedeker's Rhine).
From Giessen to Fulda in 3 1/2 hrs. (fares 4 fl. 58, 3 fl. 43, 2 fl. 29 kr), a route of no great interest. Alsfeld (Schwan), the principal place on this line, and the oldest town in Oberhessen, possesses two fine Gothic churches and several interesting late Gothic and’ Renaissance edifices of the 15th and 16th cent., most of which are in the market-place. Fulda, see p. 279.
From Giessen to Gelnhausen in 2 1/2—3 1\2 hrs. (fares 3 fl. 15, 2 fl 56, 1 fl 38 kr.). The most important station is Nidda, near which is the small bath of Salzhausen.
About 3 M. to the l. of stat, Butzbach rise the extensive ruin: of the castle of Münzenberg, destroyed in the Thirty Years’ War. The higher (154 ft.) of the two towers commands a fine view.
Nauheim (*Bellevue; Hôtel de l’Europe; Hotel Krötl; Hôtel Henckel; Deutscher Hof), with a saline spring (93° Fahr.) used for baths, situated on the N.E. slopes of the Taunus Mts., attracts considerable number of patients. The milky and foaming mineral water of the warm fountain rises in a jet 8—10 ft. in height. ‘Th wooded Johannisberg, 20 min. from the Cursaal, surmounted by # tower of an ancient monastery, commands an extensive prospect At its foot, opposite the station, is the Conversationshaus, with con cert and reading rooms. At the E. extremity of the town, near old Curhaus, is the Trinkhalle.
Friedberg (Hôtel Trapp; Simon), once a free Imperial town surrounded by walls of considerable extent, possesses two handsome Gothic churches. On the N. side stands a fine, well-preserved watch-tower; near it the beautiful Palace garden. As the train approaches Frankfort, the Taunus Mts. are seen on the r. — Bonames is the station for the baths of Homburg. Frankfort, see Baedeker's Rhine.