Schweinfurt Part 1

It feels like we just got back from our trip and we are headed off again! This time for Christmas market adventures, but first we are going to Milan as Raymond has a work thing there Tues-Thurs next week. Originally I wasn’t going to go anywhere until a bit later, but since we were headed out anyways for his work thing I rearranged things and were will just stay out and have all the Christmas fun!

So yesterday we started towards Milan and I booked a place just off the freeway just as a place to stay the night. As we were driving there we saw a sign for Schweinfurt and Raymond and I both were like “what does -furt mean??” Because Schwein is pig (or swine) and I was thinking there are other towns with -furt - Frankfurt and Erfurt were the first I thought of so what is happening with the pigs there?? Well Raymond looked it up and -furt is to ford like ford a river so this is where the pigs crossed the river! Well that was just so much fun, I kept wondering if they were they taking the pigs across on rafts like the Oregon trail game? Was the water low and they could splash their way across?? It brought me such joy thinking of the little pigs.

As we were driving were kept seeing more signs pointing towards Schweinfurt so I finally asked Raymond if it was on our way to our overnight tonight as sometimes the signs are for places farther away…and it was! So of course we had to go! Though Raymond did point out that the city webpage does state that some historians don’t think the name comes from pigs crossing but rather people migrating from the north, but the people living there refuse to believe that - it has to be the pigs!! (More info here: https://www.schweinfurt.de/en/1631.How-did-Schw…). I said I’m with the townspeople! It must be the pigs!

First stop was just outside town at der Seelenvater - a place where they used to tie up criminals and also where they executed someone and his last wish was to mark off how far his body walked after death and make it a square and give it to his family so again of course we had to stop where the dead body was walking around! (You can find more info here if you translate it https://www.schweinfurtfuehrer.de/sagen-geschic…).

Then it was on to town! I had found a free parking place on the island in the river and we got there and got the last spot! It was perfect timing as cars kept coming in after us and then leaving as there were no spaces. Then off to explore town! The first stop was a historic crane and right by there was a map of a walking tour with all the things listed to see so we walked that. Walked along the city wall some, headed up the stairs in the town, sped on a church (the inside was very plain - just white walls and a cross on the alter), and then we found the pigs!! I was very excited for them!!

There was a market in the main square and it was small, but very nice. The produce was so nice!! Everything was huge! If i lived there I would definitely get my produce there!

The second church we spied on, St Johanniskirche, is the oldest building in the city! It was still pretty plain inside, but had some fun things. And then more wandering to see what we could see!Read more