Ostheim vor der Rhön (founded in 804) is an idyllic small town in the UNESCO Rhön Biosphere Reserve in northern Bavaria. This state-recognized health resort boasts a historic townscape with half-timbered houses, picturesque alleyways, old aristocratic residences, and the widely renowned fortified church, the best-preserved one in Germany. Furthermore, a striking school building from the early 1950s attests to the post-war architecture and educational advancement of that era. The Ostheim Fortified Church is the best-preserved fortified church in Germany. Surrounded by double walls with towers, the 15th-century complex once served as a place of refuge for the townspeople. At its center the Protestant St. Michael's Church, dating from 1619, is surrounded by historic granaries (Gaden). Today, the fortified church is a monument of national importance and dominates Ostheim's townscape. Period: 15th/16th century / Renaissance Monument, best-preserved fortified church, fortified church, Middle Ages, fortress, Gaden, cultural monument, historic old town, half-timbered houses, Lichtenburg, post-war architecture, 1950s school