Accommodations in Speyer?

I'm afraid I can't help with accommodation (we stayed at the Intercity Hotel in Mainz), but for others who stumble on this post as I did, as part of the UNESCO listing there's been a major effort to make information about Jewish life in Speyer, Mainz and Worms available - see here.

For Speyer specifically, see the first part of this page, as well as the tourist office site. We couldn't make any tours work time-wise but there were several brochures and saw a lot without it. (Admittedly, I speak German).

The cathedral is also very impressive. I'm personally relieved that I had actually seen it in detail years before exploring Jewish Speyer [and Mainz], as I felt like I was getting major cognitive whiplash trying to do both at the same time, but that is a) very personal, and b) something fixable by actually staying overnight in Speyer (or at least having a proper lunch break!).

Speyer is too close to where I live for me to have used any accommodations there. But I do suggest you use FeWo Direct to look for a place instead of VRBO or Air BNB. Or just use Booking.com. Realize that June is high season.

The cathedral is nice, but the two best things in Speyer are the Technical Museum and the Historical Museum, both of which are just minutes walking distance from the cathedral. Both of these are very popular with teenagers. Also, you should know that Viking, and a couple other river tours, regularly tie up here, so the waterfront gets not only expensive, but also crowded. To avoid the shore excursions you want to be in the cathedral before 10am.

Note the bahnhof is a couple km from the cathedral, so you'll want a map or app that shows the bus lines.

I'll be honest and say I actually went to the Historical Museum as a teenager and wasn't terribly impressed, but I'd seen a lot of museums in a short space of time (I was an exchange student) and I'm assuming it's been updated since then! Can absolutely recommend the Technical Museum from much more recent experience, though.

Excellent advice on the bus map. I'd almost forgotten, but on one visit we somehow misplaced the right bus stop and a keen bean in the group suggested we walk into town. Luckily we didn't have luggage, but we were certainly rather grumpy at him afterwards!

Snoozy-- Thank you for the links and for your thoughts on the sites I'm interested in! I speak German as well (and my husband does a little), so it's good to know that there are materials that can help me play 'tour guide' if we aren't able to make one of the actual tours. As an historian who has had the opportunity to teach medieval Europe a few times (it's not my specialty time-wise), I'm very much looking forward to seeing the places that have been an important part of those lessons. Good point about the "cognitive whiplash"-- it gives me a heads-up to put some space around our visits to each place. Thanks again!

KGC--thanks for the great tips! I wasn't aware of FeWo Direct, but I will definitely be checking it out for Speyer and at least one of the other places we're going. Also, thanks for clueing me into the best timing regarding the sites vs. the cruise line folks. That's not something I had know about to consider. My kids and my husband would probably really enjoy the Technical Museum, so that'll go on the list, too.

Thanks again for your help!

The Jewish museum here is pretty good, but all the text is in German. The Mikvah is pretty deep and it is hard to imagine going into the freezing cold water in the winter, surrounded by solid rock. As one of the 3 SCHUM cities, they have worked a lot on presenting this part of the city history fairly well.

Thanks for the information; I'll do some reading about the Jewish history sites (in German) before we go so I can knock the dust off my German and likely learn some new, relevant vocabulary in preparation for translating for my family.

I've just double-checked and the app is available in English. Your daughter/s may be within the target audience for the additional stories, but in any case the details and clickable maps are pretty comprehensive.

Ms Jo, do you happen to know if the Jewish museum in Worms has more in English? I've not yet been, but their website is much clearer than Speyer. (Would be helpful to know for a friend for summer.)

Hi again, Snoozy--- thanks for the tip (and the link) about the app!

You're very welcome!

I have been to the Jewish museum in Worms a number of times and if I remember correctly, it used to have English text, but now doesn't. It is a great museum though, and I like it much better than Speyer. The Synagogue here has been lovingly reconstructed. Sadly, the Mikvah is closed for renovation. The cemetery, Holy Sands, is well worth a visit.

Thanks, Ms Jo - that's rather unfortunate. At least the English exhibition website is pretty detailed. The physical sites in all three cities are clearly works-in-progress, but I do think it's a good effort. I'll see if I can get to Worms myself next year.