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City historyWeinheim's story spans more than 1,200 years, from a monastery record in 755 to the two castles that still define its skyline. Here is the short version, enough to make sense of what you see as you walk the old town.
Weinheim is first recorded in the Lorsch Codex, tied to the nearby Lorsch Abbey.
Windeck Castle rises above the town; Weinheim gains market and town rights in the High Middle Ages.
The town belongs to the Electoral Palatinate and is split into an old and a new town.
After the end of the Palatinate, Weinheim passes to the Grand Duchy of Baden.
Student fraternities build the Wachenburg on the Wachenberg, giving the town its second castle.
Weinheim becomes a “große Kreisstadt”, reflecting its growth into a regional center.
The name “Two-Castle Town” comes from the pairing of the medieval Windeck ruins and the much younger Wachenburg, completed in 1913. Between them lies the old town, whose Old Town Hall dates to 1557 and whose tanners’ quarter still follows the open Grundelbach brook. The palace at the foot of the hills has served as the town hall since 1938.
To see this history in person, start with the attractions, and if you want to stay overnight, compare rooms on the hotels page.