The historic Bartenwetzer Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in Hesse.
Melsungen owes its existence to the favorable traffic situation on the Fulda and important trade routes in the early Middle Ages.
The stone Bartenwetzerbrücke, which was built over 400 years ago (1595-96), and its predecessors are among the oldest and most important transport links. The Bartenwetzer Bridge is considered to be one of the most beautiful bridges in Hesse. The massive pillars are provided with strong wave breakers and icebreakers upstream. Nevertheless, it was damaged several times in its history by severe floods or ice. At the end of the Second World War, two arches of the bridge were blown up, and it was not until 1956 that this damage was completely repaired.
But now to an important question. How did the Bartenwetzer Bridge get its name? In the past, many Melsungers earned their living as forest workers. Before they moved into the city forest, they met every morning on the old stone bridge and sharpened their beards (axes) in the sandstone. The resulting grinding depressions are still clearly visible today. Two Bartenwetzer statues on the bridge are a reminder of this old tradition.
In addition to the beautiful view of the weir and the Fulda, the way over the bridge is also worthwhile, because there is a bronze model of Melsung's old town on a scale of 1: 500. There is a wonderful overview of the half-timbered town. The local history museum is also located directly on the bridge, in the former sluice house and later power station. Here the development of the city is presented in words, pictures and exhibits just as interestingly as the presentation of the timber construction and the history of the half-timbered construction, which is illustrated on the model of the Melsung town hall.