Aalen: Because when else are you in going to be in a city that starts with two A's?

Quick day trip to Aalen today. Its only about a 30 minute train ride North of Heidenheim. It was Der Hunds first trip by train, so we wanted to test out a short trip before doing a longer trip.

Good girl!

Keeping a lookout for our stop

Nice guided walking trip through the town. The one thing we learned: The spy of Aalen had a sweet beard and smoked a cob pipe.

According to legend (that is, the Legend of Wikipedia):

..., the citizens of Aalen owe the “Spy of Aalen” (Spion von Aalen) their city having been spared from destruction by the emperor’s army:

The Imperial City of Aalen was in quarrel with the emperor, and his army was shortly before the gates to take the city. The people of Aalen dispatched their “most cunning” one out into the enemy’s camp to spy on the strength of their troops. Without any digression, he went straight into the middle of the enemy camp. He was seized and presented to the emperor. When the emperor asked him what he was doing there, he answered: “Don’t frighten, high lords, I just want to peek how many cannons and other war things you’ve got, since I am the spy of Aalen”. The emperor laughed upon such blatancy and naïvety, steered him all through the camp and then sent him back home. Soon the emperor withdrew his army as he thought a city with such wise guys deserved to be spared.

Center of Aalen with Old Town Hall in background. Note the “Spy Tower”
Built in the 14th century, and destroyed/rebuilt after a fire in 1634, it was the
 the town hall of Aalen until 1907. The Imperial Town of Nuremberg presented
a clock which was partly destroyed by another fire
in 1884. Only the head of the “Spy from Aalen” was
saved and can be seen on the tower. The Spy of Aalen head in the tower actually rotates
to "keep watch" on the town below.

playing with photo software to create a vintage look-
das Madchen and der Hund in front of an old church on the cobbled street

Also good to know for world travels- The Limes Museum is at the place of the largest Roman calvary fort north of the Alps.... or something like that (wiki fact check me).

Travel Tip: Don't be fooled by the English signs in the front. The were put there by a clever marketer. After you pay the 4 EUR apiece, all the signs are exclusively in German. Der Hund peed on the grounds in protest.