Frankenmuth

Frankenmuth is a city of about 5,500 people (2019) in southeastern Michigan, which was settled in 1845 by 15 Lutheran Germans who intended to spread the Christian religion to the Native American population in the area. The town today capitalizes on this German background, billing itself as "Michigan's Little Bavaria", and styling its downtown after an idealized image of a 19th-century Germany village. Visitors may find it to be unbearably kitschy, but there's a great sense of fun and an almost theme-park-like feel about the downtown area.

By car
Frankenmuth is situated close to I-75, between Flint and Saginaw. Coming north from Detroit, take exit 136 and travel east on M-54, then north on M-83. Coming south from Mackinaw City, take exit 149 and travel east on M-46, then south on M-83.

Get around
You'll need a car to reach the downtown area; fortunately, parking is abundant and free, even during heavy tourist periods. Most of the main attractions downtown are easily reached by walking, but you might want to pull the car back out to get to some of the more far-flung locations.

See

 * Downtown Frankenmuth spans several blocks of shops in Franconian (not Bavarian)-style buildings, starting from Frankenmuth River Place and continuing uphill. It's easily walkable and very pedestrian-friendly. The Cass River runs alongside the downtown area, and there are some very pleasant swathes of grassy tree-dotted hills if you want to take a riverside picnic break.

Do
Frankenmuth plays host to several festivals throughout the year:


 * Bavarian Festival, early June. Bavarian music, two parades, a midway with rides and games, and of course German food.
 * Oktoberfest, mid-September. Bavarian music, Dachshund races, German food and lots of beer.

Eat
One of the main attractions in Frankenmuth is its famous all-you-can-eat chicken dinners, offered at both the Bavarian Inn and Zehnder's, its two largest downtown restaurants. For $25 per person, diners are served all-you-can-eat homemade breads (including stollen), butter, preserves, chicken noodle soup, salad, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered noodles, hot vegetables, and homemade ice cream. The centrepiece, of course, is the mouth-wateringly juicy fried chicken. If you're a non-vegetarian visiting Frankenmuth, don't miss it.

Many other German dishes can be found in town as well, including wienerschnitzel, sauerbraten, and a variety of German sausages.

Other spots to try:

Sleep
There are multiple hotels in Frankenmuth to choose from, with more only a few miles away in Birch Run.



Go next

 * Birch Run, about 15 minutes south on M-83. Locally renowned for its abundance of outlet stores.
 * Saginaw, about 20 minutes west on I-75.
 * Flint, about 30 minutes south on I-75.
 * Bay City, about 30 minutes north on M-83.