One of the few places in Esslingen that isn’t actually historic, the market square is where the Katharinenspital, the city’s first hospital used to stand.This was pulled down in 1811 around the time Esslingen started growing beyond its city walls.Still, that takes nothing away from the beauty of the square, which is boxed in by monuments like the Stadtkirche and long rows of gabled houses.Wednesday and Saturday mornings there’s a special atmosphere on the square for the market, selling flowers, Swabian delicacies and fresh produce.And as the Esslingen’s largest outdoor meeting place Marktplatz is the venue for celebrations like the Bürgerfest in July and the Zwiebelfest (Onion Festival) in August.