"Old and New Town Hall" Plauen Things to Do Tip by Kathrin_E

The prettiest building in the whole of Plauen is the old town hall. The facade towards Altmarkt, the market square, combines gothic and renaissance style. The lower part, built in 1506, has late gothic curtain windows. The gable, already designed in the then ultra-modern style of the renbaissance, was added 40 years later. The artistic clock face also dates from 1548. The figures are mobile. When the clock chimes the full hour, the left of the two Wild Men moves his stick, the right one wiggles his beard.
The ground floor of the old town hall hosts the Lace Museum (see separate tip).

The huge new town hall was begun in 1903. The relation of the sizes of old and new reflect the development of the city. Being the worldwide leader in the production of lace, the city almost tripled its population within a few decades around 1900. The larger city needed a larger administration. The wealthy city took the chance to show off. The new town hall received a large tower which is now the main landmark in the city's panorama.

A useful address for visitors is the tourist information office on the Northern corner of the new town hall. The location is marked with a big "i" for information. This is the opposite end of the building from Altmarkt, walking over you'll get an idea of the sheer size.