Characteristic white facades with solid beams in a contrasting color are the distinguishing features of the traditional German construction. It is important to distinguish a timber-frame wall from the so-called wattle and daub wall – both types of walls are obviously based on a wooden frame, however, the former is filled with a brick wall, whereas the latter with clay mixed with chaff, sawdust or animal dung. The wooden construction adorning the walls of the building also serves an aesthetic function. Currently, half-timbered often house restaurants and taverns, as well as museums and other cultural institutions.
