h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Let's continue our walk through Speyer.

We leave the Domhof and step out again onto the forecourt of the Cathedral. In front of us is the Maximilianstrasse - the main shopping street. Nowadays, sadly, there are are empty shops, as there are everywhere, but there are also some very imaginative and original shops, and some idyllic corners, not to mention the cafés and ice-cream parlours with their fronts open to the street. This street is now a pedestrian precinct, which in my opinion, it should have been for years. Buses still go through, though, so be careful. Also watch out for cyclists - there always seem to be loads of those, too.

Here on the left is the police station, on the right there are some council offices. This building has 24 windows and they are lit up in advent like an advent's calendar with each window decorated.

The Maximilanstrasse stretches some 500-600 yards to the Altpörtel which is about the last remaining part of the Medieval Town Walls. The name is a corruption of the Latin "alta porta" (please correct my Latin if it's wrong) meaning High Gate.

But we're not there yet, although you can see it in the distance. On our right there is a large sculpture of a rather despondent pilgrim. Many pilgrims would have left from here or passed through on their way to various places of pilgrimage - maybe from Cologne to Rome. The "Camino" (St. James path) passes through here, too, or rather, one of the many of the network of paths leading to Santiago de Compostela. You must be wondering why it looks so modern: The statue has only been here since 1990 when Speyer celebrated its 2000th anniversary.

On the left is the Town Hall - Don't worry - it's not on fire, all those fire engines are probably there to greet a newly-wed couple when they come out of the Registry Office - one of them must be a fireman or -woman. Quite an important one, by the looks of it, or may just very popular. All the engines have been polished and decorated, and one or two bright red veteran engines have come along, too. If we turn off to the left here, we come to the old Jewish quarter. Not much of it is left, of course, but down here we can see the Mikva which is now open to the public, and there are street names such as "Judengasse", and the synagogue was here. These streets are all narrow and cobbled, as befits a town which had its heyday in medieval times, but most of the buildings are majestic and colourful and date from later centuries.

Now we're on the market place - "Königsplatz". This figure over the fountain in the middle is called the "Brezelbu'" - Speyer has a great tradition of Brezel baking and this commemorates a character who sold brezels and had a cheeky way about him.

If we slip through this tiny alley, we'll be back on the Maximilianstrasse and we should hit it just at a Brezel stand, so I'll buy you a brezel and we can cross over to the other side of the road ... loads to see on that side, too. It's a pity it's not a market day - the market has lots of character and a really good selection of cheeses, flowers, bread etc.

Do you want a Brezel with salt or sesame seeds?

I'll have an open sesame, please.