The Marktplatz is the social heart of the old town and the best place to get a sense of Marburg's character. The square is surrounded by half-timbered buildings and dominated by the 16th-century Rathaus (town hall) with its staircase tower. The weekly market fills the square on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with farmers and food vendors from the surrounding Lahntal region.
The surrounding lanes — Steinweg, Barfüsserstraße, Wettergasse — are where the independent bars, cafes, and restaurants cluster. This is student territory, lively from mid-morning until late. Sitting outside a bar on the Marktplatz on a summer evening, with students arguing above you and the castle visible on the hill above, is the quintessential Marburg experience.