So you're planning a trip to Memmingen!?
Great choice!
We recently spent a few days exploring this beautiful Bavarian town, and honestly, it surprised us in so many ways.
From the incredible historic buildings and charming town squares to the endless cafés, fantastic restaurants and some of the nicest beer I've EVER tasted!
There's a LOT to love about Memmingen.
Sitting outside with a warm coffee and a delicious piece of cake. Wandering through beautiful cobbled streets. Or settling in for a few drinks in one of the town's many wonderful restaurants.
It's one of those places where you don't necessarily need a packed itinerary to have an amazing time.
That being said, there are still plenty of great things to see and do!
So below I'm going to share our 10 favourite things to do in Memmingen, based on our own experiences, plus a couple of places we didn't quite get around to.
Along with some extra tips on where to eat, stay and how to make the most of your visit.
Let's get stuck in!
Disclosure: We explored Memmingen in partnership with Memmingen Tourism, who kindly covered much of our trip and provided vouchers towards activities and meals. We also paid for some extras ourselves. As always, all opinions are entirely our own.
First up, if there's one place you absolutely HAVE to visit in Memmingen, it's the beautiful Marktplatz.
This is the town's main square and arguably one of the prettiest we've come across in Germany.
And that's saying something!
The standout building is the Rathaus (Town Hall), with its incredible white façade, elaborate decorations and green domed towers.
It's a truly stunning building.
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And here's a rather unexpected fun fact...
It's also Doctor Doom's headquarters!
Well, sort of...
Marvel actually used Memmingen's Rathaus as the inspiration for Doctor Doom's headquarters in Doomstadt, the fictional capital of Latveria, in an animated promotional video.
Complete with giant robots and Doctor Doom banners hanging from the building!
You can watch the official Marvel video here.
Pretty cool, right!?
But in reality, I wouldn't recommend visiting Memmingen just to see one building, then another, then another.
The real highlight is the old town as a whole.
There are so many wonderful streets, historic buildings and little squares that you could spend hours simply wandering around.
A few other highlights to look out for include:
That last spot is particularly interesting.
Back in 1525, representatives of the peasant movement gathered at the Kramerzunft to draw up the Twelve Articles, demanding greater rights and freedoms.
It's a hugely important part of Memmingen's history and why the town is known as the City of Civil Liberties.
Our top tip: Memmingen actually has a fantastic self-guided walking route known as the Red Route.
It takes approximately an hour and leads you around the main historic sights.
Better still, you can do what we did and download the free Lauschtour audio guide, which shares interesting stories about the different buildings as you walk around.
It's available in English and even works offline!
You can download it for iPhone or Android.
It's great as the town has so much fascinating history!
Okay, this might sound like a strange thing to put so high on a list of Memmingen attractions.
But hear me out!
One of our absolute favourite things about visiting Memmingen was simply sitting outside, drinking coffee and eating cake.
I'm serious!
There's something wonderful about the atmosphere here.
Especially in October, when the air was crisp and fresh, but it was still pleasant enough to sit outside.
And the best part?
There are SO MANY cafés!
Seriously, I think you could spend months visiting a different one each day.
And I genuinely wish we'd had the time to try more!
One place we were specifically recommended was Café Martin, located in the historic centre.
And it certainly didn't disappoint.
We ordered two coffees and a delicious warm strudel with fruit.
Which was amazing!
But another highlight was their chocolate selection.
They have an incredible range of handmade-looking chocolates and other sweet treats, and we couldn't resist picking up a few to try afterwards.
The café also has a lovely outdoor seating area and a covered courtyard.
Other popular spots worth considering include Konditorei Brommler, Kreuzherrn by Fähndrich and Moritz.
But honestly, I wouldn't stress too much about finding the best café in Memmingen.
There are just so many!
Find somewhere that catches your eye, order something delicious and enjoy being in Memmingen.
For us, that's what a visit here is all about.
READ MORE: Our 3 Day Memmingen Itinerary <-- including our favourite places to eat and drink
One of Memmingen's most impressive landmarks is St Martin's Church.
It's a beautiful historic church with an enormous tower that you can spot from various places around town.
And if you fancy seeing Memmingen from a completely different perspective, you can actually climb it!
The tower stands almost 65 metres high, and after approximately 240 steps, you're rewarded with fantastic views across the old town.
Apparently, on particularly clear days, you can even see the Alps in the distance!
Unfortunately, this is one experience we didn't manage ourselves.
That's because you can't simply turn up and climb whenever you fancy.
Access is through guided tours, which normally operate at 3pm between May and the end of October.
And we couldn't quite make the timings work during our visit.
The guided climb takes approximately an hour, with information about the history of the tower, its bells and the people who once lived and worked there.
Adult tickets currently cost just €4.
So it's certainly an affordable way to enjoy one of the best viewpoints in Memmingen.
Top tip: Check the tour times before your trip, as the regular climbing season is limited.
You can find the latest information on St Martin's tower tours here.
Bavaria is famous for its beer.
And whilst I'm not the biggest beer enthusiast in the world, I can genuinely say that some of the beer we tried in Memmingen was the nicest I've EVER had!
In particular, at JOESEPP'S Brauhaus.
You'll notice the word Brauhaus popping up around Bavaria, which essentially means brewery or brewhouse.
Many of the old buildings you'll come across were once breweries.
But JOESEPP'S is still going strong!
It's a working brewhouse, producing its own beers and serving them alongside traditional Bavarian-Swabian food.
And it's a fantastic place for dinner.
The restaurant itself is surprisingly modern and stylish, whilst retaining that cosy German atmosphere.
They even have enormous copper brewing kettles inside!
One of the highlights is their beer-tasting selection, where you can sample several of the beers brewed there.
It's the perfect option if, like me, you don't really know what you like!
They produce a range of beers, including Blonde, Schwarze and Weiße, and you can compare different styles without committing to an entire pint.
But my personal favourite was something called Russ.
Which is basically wheat beer mixed with lemonade.
I know, I know...
Probably not what serious beer drinkers want to hear!
But honestly, it was delicious.
We enjoyed JOESEPP'S so much that we ended up eating here twice.
And the food was equally as good.
My favourite was the Brauerfladen Vegetarisch (€12.90 when we visited).
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It's essentially an enormous flatbread, almost like a pizza, covered in sour cream, cheese and vegetables.
And when I say enormous, I mean enormous!
We also tried the traditional Original Allgäuer Käsespätzle, which is a regional dish of soft egg noodles, cheese and fried onions.
As well as Rahmschwammerl, a delicious combination of creamy mushrooms and bread dumplings with fresh herbs.
Honestly, everything we tried was fantastic.
If you're looking for somewhere to experience traditional Bavarian food and locally brewed beer, this would be one of my top recommendations in Memmingen.
You can check the latest menu and reserve a table here.
Top tip: Definitely book ahead, particularly for dinner. More on that below!
Another great thing about Memmingen is how much of its medieval history is still standing.
In particular, the old city walls.
These once surrounded the entire town, complete with seven gateways and 26 towers.
And although not everything remains today, there are still plenty of fascinating sections to explore.
Some of the highlights include:
We came across various parts of the walls and gates whilst exploring Memmingen.
But if you're interested in learning more, there's actually another official walking route worth following.
The Green Route.
Unlike the Red Route, which focuses on the old town's historic buildings, this one takes you around the ancient fortifications, parks and green spaces.
It takes approximately 1–1.5 hours to complete.
And I think it's a fantastic option if you want to explore a slightly different side of Memmingen.
You can find all of Memmingen's official walking routes here.
If you fancy something a little different from wandering around historic buildings, then I'd recommend visiting MEWO Kunsthalle.
This is Memmingen's contemporary art gallery, located right beside the train station.
And interestingly, the building was originally constructed as the Royal Bavarian Post Office back in 1901.
Nowadays, it hosts changing exhibitions from modern and contemporary artists.
And the exhibition we saw was fantastic!
It featured work by Jochen Mühlenbrink, who creates incredibly realistic paintings of everyday objects.
In particular, paintings designed to look as though they were covered in actual strips of packing tape.
Except...
The tape wasn't real!
It was all painted.
And honestly, the effect was so convincing that you had to look twice to work out what you were seeing.
Such a clever concept!
That particular exhibition finished in November 2026, but MEWO regularly changes its exhibitions, so there's always something different to see.
And the best part? Admission is FREE!
The gallery is normally open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11am until 5pm.
I'd allow around an hour to explore, depending on what's being exhibited.
You can check the current MEWO exhibitions and opening times here.
If you're particularly interested in art and history, there are also other museums worth considering.
These include the Strigel Museum and Antonite Museum, as well as the Stadtmuseum, which explores the city's history.
We didn't manage to visit these ourselves, but they're good options if you've got more time or happen to visit on a rainy day!
Okay, now for something completely different!
One of the most unusual things we did in Memmingen was visit Salzgrotte am Lindentor.
Which is essentially a salt cave designed for relaxation.
And whilst we'd heard of salt caves before, neither of us had experienced anything quite like this.
The concept is simple...
You spend 45 minutes sitting back in a comfortable reclining chair, surrounded by tonnes of salt, with relaxing music and soft lighting.
And you do...
Absolutely nothing!
Sounds pretty good, right!?
When we visited, there were reclining chairs with blankets provided, and the whole place had a lovely calming atmosphere.
There was gentle music playing, subtle lighting and very little else to distract you.
My advice?
Put your phone away, forget about everything happening outside and just let your thoughts drift.
Cazzy came out feeling fantastic afterwards.
And whilst salt caves are often promoted for their potential health benefits, I wouldn't go expecting any guaranteed medical effects.
For us, it was simply a wonderful opportunity to switch off for 45 minutes.
But here's another reason I'd recommend visiting...
The building itself is fantastic!
It's a beautiful old traditional building, complete with creaky wooden floors and lots of character.
And upstairs there's also a lovely café where you can enjoy coffee, cake or even breakfast.
We saw a couple enjoying breakfast there during our visit, and the whole place just felt so cosy and inviting.
You can sit upstairs, look down over the streets outside and enjoy a completely different side of Memmingen.
Honestly, even the café felt relaxing!
The salt cave was also completely full during our session.
So I'd definitely recommend booking ahead.
Useful information:
You can check prices and booking details here.
One of the things that surprised us most about Memmingen was just how good the restaurant and bar scene was.
And it's certainly not all traditional German beer halls! There are some surprisingly modern and stylish places too.
One of our favourites was ROOF.
As the name suggests, this is a rooftop restaurant and bar overlooking Memmingen's historic centre.
And honestly...
What a spot!
We visited for drinks and absolutely loved it.
The whole place has a really cool, modern atmosphere, with stylish seating, a great drinks menu and incredible views over the rooftops.
It's such a different experience from the traditional Bavarian restaurants you'll find throughout town.
One particularly impressive feature is the outdoor dome-style dining area.
These covered seating areas create a really unique setting, particularly when the weather is cooler.
And during the warmer summer months, you can enjoy the open-air rooftop seating.
We didn't have a full meal here, but the menu looked fantastic, with a mixture of modern international dishes.
However, you really don't need to come here for dinner to enjoy it!
Even just popping up for a cocktail or a couple of drinks is absolutely worthwhile.
In fact, that's exactly what we did.
And I'd 100% recommend doing the same.
They also advertise a happy hour between 6pm and 8pm, so it's worth checking what's available during your visit.
You can view the ROOF menu and make a reservation here.
We actually had dinner next door at a place called Schwarze Katz.
And I would 100% recommend eating here. More details on this in our Memmingen itinerary guide.
Just don't leave it too late to book. This place is popular!
Another lovely thing to do in Memmingen is simply wander through the shopping streets.
And the great thing is that even if you're not particularly interested in shopping, they're still beautiful places to explore!
The main shopping street is Kramerstraße.
It's a pedestrianised avenue running for approximately 400 metres through the historic centre.
Here you'll find a mixture of independent shops, boutiques, familiar brands and plenty of cafés.
We had a little browse during our visit, although admittedly didn't go on any major shopping spree!
But it's definitely a nice area to wander around.
Another thing worth checking out is the Memmingen Weekly Market.
This takes place every Tuesday and Saturday morning in Marktplatz.
And with the beautiful Rathaus providing the backdrop, it's a pretty wonderful setting!
You'll find stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, cheese, meats, flowers and other local products.
The market usually finishes at 12:30pm, so I'd recommend visiting in the morning.
Note: The market can move during certain events, including the Christmas market, so check its location if you're visiting during a festival.
Okay, I know what you're thinking...
This isn't technically something to do in Memmingen.
But hear me out!
One of the biggest reasons I'd recommend staying in Memmingen is that it's such a fantastic base for exploring more of southern Germany.
And this is exactly how we'd recommend spending a few days here.
Because realistically, most of us don't have time to spend three days in every beautiful German town we come across.
Instead, why not use Memmingen as your base, explore the old town, enjoy dinner here each evening, then take a couple of day trips?
Some of our favourite options include:
And there's actually a lovely personal connection for us here...
Our first-ever trip together was to this part of Germany!
Back in December 2015, we flew into Munich, headed down to Füssen and spent a few nights exploring the region.
The main reason was to visit the magical-looking Neuschwanstein Castle.
We also visited Kempten's Christmas market.
So returning to this part of Germany more than a decade later was pretty special!
In fact, Neuschwanstein even features in our guide to the best places to visit in Europe.
The great thing about Memmingen is that you don't necessarily need a car for these trips.
The train station is within easy walking distance of the old town, with regular connections around the region.
You can check routes, journey times and ticket prices through the Deutsche Bahn website.
One tip for Lindau: Look for trains arriving at Lindau-Insel, which puts you right beside the historic harbour. Lindau-Reutin is on the mainland.
Of course, if you'd prefer the freedom of driving, we've also written guides to the best car rentals in Germany and campervan rentals in Germany.
Both are great options for exploring more of Bavaria and the surrounding region.
We visited Memmingen in October, and honestly, I think it was a fantastic time to go.
The weather was cool and crisp, but still pleasant enough to enjoy sitting outside with a coffee.
And we had a rather unexpected surprise!
Our final day coincided with the start of the Memminger Jahrmarkt.
Which is essentially an enormous traditional autumn fair.
And it was AMAZING!
Suddenly, parts of this quiet historic town were packed with fairground rides, food stalls, games and more sausages than you could possibly eat!
It actually felt a little like a Christmas market.
Just without the Christmas decorations!
There were huge rides, people everywhere and such a fantastic atmosphere.
It was an awesome way to finish our trip.
The Jahrmarkt takes place in October each year, with the 2026 event running from 10–18 October (finished now of course).
But Memmingen actually has a number of other fantastic annual events worth planning around.
These include:
If you're planning a winter trip, Germany is one of our favourite countries for Christmas markets.
And we've visited plenty over the years!
You can check out our guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe for more inspiration.
During our visit, we stayed at the wonderful Hotel Weisses Ross.
And I'd absolutely recommend it!
It's a beautiful historic hotel, housed in a building dating back to the 15th century. And the location is fantastic.
You're right in the historic centre, just a short walk from the train and bus stations.
Which makes it ideal if you're planning on exploring the surrounding area too.
The hotel has plenty of traditional charm, with lovely old features throughout.
We also really enjoyed the breakfast buffet, which had a great selection of food.
And the breakfast room itself was lovely, with views looking down over the streets.
But perhaps the most unusual part of our stay was our room...
We stayed in the Honeymoon Suite, which actually had its own private sauna!
Yes, a sauna in the room!
Definitely not something you find in every hotel.
Of course, this was a feature of our particular suite, rather than something to expect in every room.
But it's a fun extra if you're looking for somewhere special to stay.
Overall, we found Weisses Ross comfortable, well located and full of character.
I'd happily stay here again!
You can check the hotel's rooms and latest details here.
One of the best things about visiting Memmingen is just how easy it is to get there.
We flew directly from London Stansted to Memmingen Airport.
And honestly, it couldn't have been much simpler!
Once you land, the centre of Memmingen is only around 10 minutes away by bus.
The Memmingen Airport City Shuttle runs between the airport terminal and Memmingen railway station.
Services generally operate around every 30 minutes, although check the timetable for your flight.
And from the station, you can walk straight into the historic town centre.
You really don't need a car to explore Memmingen itself.
We walked pretty much everywhere during our visit.
And if you're planning day trips, the railway connections make it easy to explore much more of southern Germany.
One final tip: If you're visiting during autumn or winter, bring a decent jacket and comfortable walking shoes!
Our Europe packing list has plenty more advice if you're not sure what to bring.
Before wrapping up, there are a few things we learnt during our visit that are worth knowing.
The team at the Memmingen Tourist Information Centre in Marktplatz were fantastic.
They helped organise our visit and know the town incredibly well.
So if you're unsure what to see, which route to follow or what's open during your visit, definitely pop in.
They'll almost certainly know more than we could!
I really can't stress this enough.
One of the biggest surprises for us was just how busy the restaurants could get.
On our first evening, a seemingly random Thursday in October, we arrived at a restaurant to discover it was almost completely full.
And this was despite the streets outside being practically deserted!
We later heard that Thursday is sometimes called Little Friday locally.
Whether that's a widely used saying or not, it certainly felt appropriate!
We also had trouble getting tables at some popular places, including Schwarze Katz, ROOF and Weber am Bach.
So I'd definitely recommend reserving dinner in advance.
One restaurant worth checking out is Schwarze Katz.
We had an absolutely unbelievable vegan steak there, along with some fantastic cocktails.
And that's coming from someone who isn't vegan!
Another lovely surprise was how reasonably priced eating out was.
Especially compared with what we're used to paying in the UK.
During our visit, we regularly saw:
Of course, these are examples from our trip rather than fixed prices everywhere.
But overall, we thought the food and drink offered fantastic value.
Especially considering how good it was!
I know this might sound like strange advice in a guide about the best things to do in Memmingen.
But honestly, it's probably the most important!
Don't feel like you need to rush around ticking off every building and attraction.
Take your time.
Explore the streets, stop for coffee, try another cake and enjoy the atmosphere.
That's exactly what made Memmingen so special for us.
Absolutely!
We genuinely loved our time in Memmingen, and it's somewhere I'd happily return to.
From the beautiful historic streets and buildings to the incredible cafés, wonderful restaurants and surprisingly good nightlife, there's plenty to enjoy.
And although you can explore many of Memmingen's main attractions in a day, I really think it's worth spending longer here.
Especially when you factor in the fantastic day trips to places like Ulm, Lindau and Füssen.
But if there's one thing I'd recommend above everything else...
Don't forget to slow down and simply enjoy being in Memmingen!
Grab a coffee, order a slice of cake and see where the day takes you.
Hopefully, this guide has given you plenty of ideas for planning your own trip.
And now over to you...
Have you visited Memmingen before?
Are there any other great things to do here that we've missed?
Drop a comment below and let us know!
Happy travels!
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