Have you ever wondered what it was like to live during the European Middle Ages, but your time machine is still under construction and you can’t check it out? Well, fear not, there is a way of getting somehow close to it – at least when it comes to the architecture.
In the spring of 2021, with the third Corona Pandemic wave keeping Germany under a many-months-long lockdown, we grew tired of hiking in our living area alone. We couldn’t go on holidays, but we also didn’t feel like staying inside on a sunny day. So what to do when you feel like being outside and do something cultural but everything is shut down? Looking for ideas on the internet we discovered Zons – an old town with a well-preserved medieval city wall from the 14th century that surrounds the city centre. We decided to give it a go despite the odds and ended up having a great day.
Located near Düsseldorf by the Rhine River, the city of Zons only has about 5000 inhabitants. The walled city centre may not be big, but it surely is a tourist magnet! Despite the lockdown keeping restaurants and hotels closed, there were surprisingly many tourists walking all over the narrow streets. It makes me (Spreepferdchen) wonder what the place would be like on a “normal” day. The city centre itself is lovely but not particularly outstanding compared to other cozy old European towns. However, the antique city wall gives the place a time-travel-like character which makes it really special.
In addition to the city wall with its pretty towers there is also a 14th century windmill that can be visited on specific days and an open-air stage where different events take place throughout the year. Having grown up in central Europe with its rich history, medieval city wall remainders and castles in many places, I have to say that Zons still managed to surprise me. The being “set-back-in-time-vibe” is present all along the city wall, both inside and outside, to the point of not being ruined even by the many tourists (and again, we were there during lockdown, so this may be different under usual touristy conditions).
In summary, we had a great day in Zons despite the restrictions and plan on coming back once the lockdown is over. What’s left for us to do in Zons (review will hopefully be updated at some point):
- Stay a night at the hotel restaurant Schlossdistille for one of their event evenings (looked promising from the outside)
- Maybe see a play at the open-air stage and/or visit the windmill depending on availability
- Get more ice cream (see foody tip below)
- Join a “donkey hiking tour” in the nearby Eselpark that takes care of mistreated donkeys
Foody tip: grab some ice cream at the “Zonser Eis Manufaktur” (Schloßstraße 20) – some of the best Italian ice cream we have ever had!
