Idstein is a well-preserved historical town located in the Rheingau-Taunus district in Hesse, Germany. Idtsein is the second biggest town in the district and is famous for its colorful and timber-framed buildings. There are about 25,000 inhabitants. It is part of the German Timber-Frame Road, a tourist route famous for its timber-framed houses, and lies in the Taunuss mountain range.
The medieval town center has many timber-frame buildings, a common feature in Germanic architecture, with colorful exteriors. The structure of the houses is plain but the exteriors are the opposite to attract attention and maintain the original texture of the town. Gothic, Baroque, Rhenish, and Renaissance styles are prominent in the architecture of the buildings.
Idstein was notorious for the witch trials that took place in the 17th century and the town’s landmark is the Hexentrum or Witches’ Tower, a 48-meter-tall castle built in the 12th century. The oldest preserved house in the town was originally built in 1410
Idtsein was an important location throughout its history because of its location and the fact that it had an important leather industry. After the Second World War, eleven formerly independent villages were merged and became known as Idstein, under the framework of municipal reform. Some of the buildings have been greatly renovated.
