HIDDEN GEM
Historic European town that looks like something from a fairytale – with houses covered in thousands of diamonds
And it's also been in a famous Hollywood film
AN UNUSUAL European town has been described as having a "fairytale vibe" for its unique history, including buildings made out of diamonds.
It is also featured in a very popular Hollywood film and is built inside the impact crater of a meteor.
7
7
7
7
With so many fascinating aspects, it's hard to know where to start when describing Nördlingen in Germany.
However, the most eye-catching thing about the town is arguably its diamond-encrusted walls.
Unfortunately, the precious rocks aren't exactly sticking right out the side of the buildings - but they can be seen sparkling in a lot of them.
The jewels are related to the meteor that hit the earth, right where the town is now built.
Read More on City Breaks
The huge space rock is said to have been close to two miles in width, and the outer ring of the crater can still be seen from the top of the church spire.
There's a Crater Museum for anyone wanting to find out more information about the fascinating history.
When it struck land, the meteor deposited millions of tiny diamonds into the ground, with the rock and stone there then used to construct most of the town
It has previously been estimated by local geologists that the town walls and buildings contain as much as 72,000 tons of diamonds.
Most read in City breaks
Those walls were built as far back as the 14th century and can still be explored today, exactly as they would've been in the 1300s.
Its buildings and pavements "still sparkle in the sunlight" according to Thirsty Swagman, who offers beer tours around Germany.
Inside the tiny European town described as a ‘living fairytale’ that inspired Pinocchio and other Disney classics
That's another reason to visit the town, with Nördlingen upholding the great Bavarian tradition of drinking beer.
One of the most popular places to do that is the Bayrish Pub, a bar mixing together Irish and Bavarian traditions.
It serves German wheat beers and pretzels alongside Guinness and Irish stew, as well as other delicacies from both cultures.
However, the town is also the source of a less common drop, German cider.
The 10 cheapest pints in the world
These 10 countries have the cheapest pints in the world
- Uzbekistan - 70p
- China - 90p
- Madagascar - £1
- Vietnam - £1.02
- Ukraine - £1.06
- Belarus - £1.07
- Philippines - £1.25
- Colombia - £1.28
- Azerbaijan - £1.29
- Kazakhstan - £1.34
Source: How to Order a Beer in Any Country in the World by Fraser Metcalf
The Binninger cider press is found in Nördlingen, where it has been since 2009.
Using only apples from the region, the company makes booze exactly the same way it has since it first started more than 115 years ago.
Thirsty Swagman continued: "This medieval town boasts perfectly preserved architecture, an out-of-this-world origin story (pun intended), and a fairytale vibe you can’t find outside of Bavaria."
It's one of just three cities that are perfectly preserved in Germany from the Medieval times, along with Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which was used as a shooting location in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Nördlingen makes an appearance in another popular film, the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
At the end of the film, in the scene where Willy Wonka's glass elevator bursts out of the factory roof and flies away, the town below is actually Nördlingen.
One of the standout features, contributing to the fairytale feeling is the Harburg Castle.
The extensive mediaeval complex dates from the 11th century and consists of courtyards and towers, with a massive 230ft keep that offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Meanwhile, this overlooked city has a 15th-century palace and a pink soup festival.
And this German town has its own unique smoked beers.
7
7
7