I recently visited Lorsch upon its opening after lengthy renovations. I would like to give some information regarding some new developments there.

The Carolingian Königshalle has been now completely renovated and it is again possible to visit its interior. As said in other reviews, the Carolingian frescoes barely survived and the Gothic ones that are present are not that spectacular. Nearby is the only other original building that survived from the Abbey. It is a Romanesque chapel that used to be an extension to a large Carolingian basilica which did not survive. You can appreciate its huge dimensions following its foundations that are still visible. It used to be one of the largest churches in the world at the time of its construction. Charlemagne himself is claimed to have been there for its consecration, evidence for the role this major abbey played during its heyday. The chapel is now being excavated and it will probably open to visitors in summer 2015.

Next to these two buildings on the abbey hill are the Zehntspeicher - a 16th century grain storage room and the herb garden. The Zehntspeicher is planned to house an archaeological exhibition starting summer 2015. The nearby herb garden is a reconstruction of might have been the first medieval herb garden. The medical practices that are described in the Lorsch Herb Book were groundbreaking in the medieval world. It is often considered as the first medical book in Post-Roman Christian Europe.

Walking down the hill you reach the Altmünster. This is where the previous abbey stood. Here you can only see the foundations, but other than on the hill they are now exposed. Nearby are two now additions to the complex that have only now been opened: a new visitor centre and Lauresheim.

Lauresheim, which is an older version of the name Lorsch, is an open-air Carolingian village. Reconstructed in line with experimental archaeology, it tries to capture how life might have looked like in the hundreds of villages that were vassal to this wealthy abbey.

To sum up, it is a shame so little has remained of what was once Europe's wealthiest abbey, but at least it is apparent that attempts are being made to improve visitor experience in Lorsch and to give a better impression of the significance of this historic site.