Hohenems

 

is a town in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg in the Dornbirn district. It lies in the middle of the Austrian part of the Rhine valley. With a population of 15,200 it is the fifth largest municipality in Vorarlberg. Hohenems' attractions include a Renaissance palace dating back to the 16th century and a Jewish museum.

Hohenems
Town centre
Coat of arms

History

 

Town hall, built in 1567 as lordly guesthouse

 

The summit of theSchlossberg rock, within 45 minutes walk from town centre, hosts the ruins of Alt-Ems, a castle dating back to the 9th century. From 12th century it was among the biggest fortifications in the south of the German kingdom.. The stronghold was very strung-out and extended up to 800 m (2,625 ft) in length and 85 m (280 ft) in width. The lords and knights of Hohenems resided there, being at the peak of fame from 13th to 16th century. As they were loyal ministeriales of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, the castle served for the arrest of notable prisoners like the Norman king William III of Sicily, who probably died here in 1198.

The first time Hohenems received the rights and liberties of a city (German Stadtrecht) already was in 1333, but the town never made use of this municipal law. Only at the 650th anniversary of the Stadtrecht, in 1983, the government of Vorarlberg entitled Hohenems to all city rights.

Infrastructure

 

Exhibit in "Stoffel's sawmill"

 

Apart from the historical sites, the town centre lacks urban ambience, although hotels, shops, and restaurants can be found there. On the outskirts near the motorway can be found branches of multinational retail chains and a ten-screen multiplex. On the way to Hohenems's mountain village,Reute, the Stoffels Säge-Mühle ("Stoffel's Sawmill") Museum can be found, which presents the history of saw milling and mill grinding technologies.

Twin towns

 

SOURCE : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenems

Classifieds in Hohenems