The busy town of Offenburg, situated at the point where the river Kinzig emerges from the foothills of the Black Forest into the fertile Upper Rhine plain, is an important road and rail junction and the chief town in the Ortenau area.
On the east side of the main street of Offenburg is the Fischmarkt, in which are the Lion Fountain (1599) and the Salt-House (1786). Nearby, at Glaserstrasse 8, can be seen the former mikve (Jewish ritual bath; 13th-14th c.).
Northwest of the Marktplatz in Offenburg stands the church of the Holy Cross (Heiligkreuzkirche; 17th-18th C). In front of it is a fine group of Christ on the Mount of Olives (1524).
In the Marktplatz of Offenburg are the Town Hall (1741) and, south of this, the Königshof (1714-17), originally the residence of the imperial governor, now the police headquarters.
In Ritterstrasse in Offenburg, stands the Ritterhaus (1784), with the Ritterhaus Museum (regional history, folk art and traditions, costumes, colonial history).
Address: Museum im Ritterhaus, Ritterstrasse 10, D-77652 Offenburg, Germany
Hours:
10am-1pm, 3pm-5pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Ash Wednesday - Christian, Good Friday - Christian