Aschaffenburg lies in Lower Franconia on the hilly right bank of the Main, on the edge of the Spessart. The old town is dominated by the massive bulk of the Renaissance palace once occupied by the Electors of Mainz.
The moated castle of Mespelbrunn, 20km/12.5mi southeast of Achaffenburg, is picturesquely situated in a side valley of the Elsava and is open to the public. The ancestral home of the Echter family, it passed in 1665 to the Counts of Ingelheim-Echter.
Address: Schloss Mespelbrunn, D-63875 Mespelbrunn, Germany
Schönbusch, 3.5km/2mi southwest of Aschaffenburg, is a park landscaped in the English style, with a little neo-classical palace, a lake and various pavilions and restaurants.
Schönbusch is a popular weekend destination to stroll the gardens, visit the playground or boat on the lake.
The State Art Gallery in Aschaffenburg is housed in the 17th C Schloss Johannisburg which displays an impressive interior. Also of note are the Palace Gardens.
The Stiftskirche in Aschaffenburg is the collegiate church of SS Peter and Alexander (12th and 13th centuries). The church contains a number of important works of art, including a "Lamentation" by Matthias Grünewald. The church has a Late Romanesque cloister. In the former chapterhouse is the Stiftsmuseum (church art, collection of faience).
The Schönborner Hof now houses the Natural History Museum and an information center on the Czech town of Kraslice, with which Aschaffenburg is twinned.