What to See in Memmingen, Germany The historic town of Memmingen is located in the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia, Germany.
To its west is the River Iller, demarcating the Baden-Wurttemberg boundary.
To the north, east and southern borders of Memmingen, the district of Lower Allgau is found.
Old walls and imposing gates enclose many parts of Memmingen, a testament to the city's celebrated Gothic and Renaissance tradition.
Memmingen also boasts of a number of courtyards, castles, palaces and fortifications that date way back to the era of the Roman Empire, which never fail to charm the throngs of tourists who visit the town.
Memmingen has more than 40,000 residents, making it the fifth largest town in Swabia.
Its main economy comes from industry, cheese manufacture, and trade of agricultural products.
Transport facilities include road, rail and air routes, and the town links many parts of Upper Swabia, Central Swabia and the Allgau.
The town has the moniker "Gateway to the Allgau," evincing its significance as a transport hub.
Its other monikers are Stadt mit Perspektiven ("a town with perspectives") and Stadt der Menschenrechte ("the town of human rights").
The first is the town motto, while the second commemorates the signing of the "Twelve Articles" in Memmingen in 1525, a historical document that is believed to be the first written text on human rights in Europe, and probably in the whole world.
For tourists visiting Memmingen, five must-see attractions are the town's theaters, museums, medieval buildings, parks and cemeteries.
Other popular attractions are the city's special festivals, which delight both residents and tourists.
One of these festivals is the Fischertag (Fisherman's Day), which is celebrated yearly, showcasing medieval customs.
Another is the Wallensteinfestspiel (Wallenstein Festival), one of Europe's biggest historical reenactments, which honors the invasion of Wallenstein in 1630.
The Wallensteinfestspiel takes place once in every four years, and has about 4,500 participants.
The theater is a notable feature of Menningen city life.
As early as in the Middle Ages, theater performances were already being conducted in Memmingen.
One of the city's foremost theater companies is Landestheater Schwaben (State Theatre of Swabia), which was founded in 1937.
It performs mainly in the famed Rooms of the City Theater, the cabaret stage (Schweizerberg), and in the Kaminwerk cultural center.
A number of operas and stage plays have had world premirres in Memmingen.
Among the city's museums, the biggest is the Town Museum located at the Hermannsbau.
It is well known for its historical rooms, Jewish artifacts, and distinguished paintings and wood carvings.
But perhaps the greatest tourist attractions in Memmingen are the town's medieval buildings and historic structures.
These include ten city gates and towers, a number of baroque houses of patricians, a medieval market place, the imposing Renaissance-style town hall, the famous St.
Martin's church, the Guildhouse (Grobzunft), and the painted tax house (Steuerhaus).
Also worth mentioning is an ancient yet very well conserved monastery called Antonierkloster, or the Hospital Brothers of St.
Anthony.
Another historic building is the Frauenkirche or Unser Frauen (Church of Our Lady), the town's oldest church.
Memmingen has a number of beautiful, spacious parks, many of them with very old trees well past the 150-year-old mark.
The Hubergarten, Zollergarten, Hohe Wacht, Westertorplatz, Grimmelschanze and Reichsain parks are but a few of the city's picturesque parks.
Lastly, worth a visit when in Memmingen are its ancient cemeteries, some of which date back to the Middle Ages.
A notable example is the Old Cemetery, located near a former Scottish monastery.
Tourist accommodation in and around Memmingen ranges from 4 star hotels to cozy family owned and run Bed and Breakfast establishments.