Memmingen is an attractive town with a historic centre on the way south from Ulm towards Lake Constance and the Allgäu region.
It offers a small airport with international flights just outside the town which is becoming more popular with low-cost carriers. Although many of the arrivals may be on their way to other destinations, Memmingen makes a pleasant stopover for a night or two.
Allgäu Airport - as the nearby airport at Memmingerberg is known - has become a popular destination for the lower-cost carriers.
Although it is a small regional airport it sits near a convenient motorway junction and is a good access point for the general Allgäu region.
Public transport connections have also improved over the years, with long distance bus services and a regular connection to Memmingen train station.
Travellers from outside Germany may see the airport described additionally as 'Munich West' - in fact it is 115km away from the city and far closer to Ulm.
Website: www.allgaeu-airport.com
The town is obviously most conveniently served by its local airport. However the relative lack of choice of flights might lead to other alternatives being more appropriate.
Distance to Allgäu Airport: 5km
Distance to Friedrichshafen Airport: 78km
Distance to Stuttgart Airport: 137km
Distance to Munich Airport: 141km
Friedrichshafen, on the shores of Lake Constance, is a similar airport to Allgäu Airport in terms of carriers and choice, while Stuttgart has many scheduled flights. Munich however offers the widest choice of all.
The Memmingen train station is located on the edge of the old walled town (in fact, some of those walls were pulled down to construct the original buildings) and has high-speed connections into the inter-city network, especially between Zurich and Munich. There are regular regional services to the southern part of the Allgäu and north to Ulm.
Memmingen is located not far from Ulm and offers a nearby international airport and access to Lake Constance and the mountains of the Austrian Vorarlberg further south.
The compact central area surrounded by the former town walls is where most of the accommodation in Memmingen is located.
If you know when you are planning to go but haven't decided on accommodation, then use the search form underneath to get an idea of which hotels are available and to compare prices during the period you wish to travel.
(Please note that this selection will also include some pensions and self-catering apartments for those who are interested in that form of accommodation!)
Alternatively, if you would like a list of properties available on your proposed dates of travel, use the search box below to find accommodation:
Originally a way-station on a Roman trade route, Memmingen grew in importance because of its position on one of the major salt roads and on an important route from Germany down into Italy.
It received its town charter in the 12th century and a hundred years on was elevated to a self-governing Free Imperial City ("Reichsstadt").
One of the most enduring historical aspects of the town is its participation in the upheavals at the time of the Reformation.
At the same time as Martin Luther was overturning the established beliefs of religion, there was a connected rebellion from the lower classes of society which ended up in the German Peasants' War of the 16th century.
One of the important documents from that time was the Twelve Articles agreed at a peasants' assembly in Memmingen - a declaration which some historians believe predates and influenced the ideas of the American Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution.
In memory of this declaration, Memmingen now awards the Memmingen Freedom Prize 1525 every four years to distinguish recipients who have performed outstanding work in the field of human rights.
After the 16th century the trading prosperity of the town began to decline because of changing trading patterns and the outbreak of war on important commercial routes. At the start of the 18th century the town was occupied by Bavarian troops and, for the first time, became part of Bavaria.
Some of the old town centre was destroyed during bombing raids in the Second World War - the nearby airport runways were also a target because of their military usage.
The tourist office in Memmingen is situated in
the main square near the town hall. It offers information about the history of the town and two self-guided themed walks around the centre.
Website: www.memmingen.de