Michelstadt is a small Odenwald town with one of Germany's most photogenic market squares. Its half-timbered Rathaus dates from 1484, standing on open timber posts like a medieval stage set, with lanes of old houses running away from it.
There is more here than a single pretty building. Just outside town, Einhard's Basilica is a rare surviving Carolingian church from the 9th century, built by Charlemagne's biographer. Schloss Fürstenau and the old walls add a second layer of local history.
Michelstadt works best as an Odenwald day trip from Darmstadt, Frankfurt, or Heidelberg. Come outside the Christmas market crush if you want the timber-framed streets at their calmest.