Main-Tauber District

Choose your own balance of cycling and nature

If you enjoy covering longer distances on holiday, the Main-Tauber District cycling map lists 18 circular and point-to-point tours ranging from 24 to 240 kilometres. These include the five-star cycling route “Der Klassiker,” the Taubertal Cycle Route, the Wine Cycling Tour and the Main-Tauber-Franconian Cycling Eight. The different route lengths help you make your choice based on the distance you plan to cover. The names also indicate different themes: alongside cycling routes, there is a wine tour and a route connected with several regions.

The 2,000-hectare Ahorn Forest, between the Lovely Tauber Valley and the Odenwald, offers a different perspective on nature. You can explore it on cycling and hiking trails, as well as walking routes. In addition to the tours listed on the cycling map, there are more options to choose from in the forest. If spending time outdoors matters to you, you can take this into account when choosing your holiday location; castles and museums offer other inspiration for a more culture-focused stay.

Discover castles and history

The Teutonic Order Castle in Bad Mergentheim brings together several collections in a historic setting: from 1525 to 1809, it was the residence of the Grand and German Masters of the Teutonic Order. Today, it houses a museum covering around 3,000 square metres, dedicated to the 800-year history of the Teutonic Order and the history of the town. Other exhibits include the Mörike Cabinet, a collection of dollhouses, the Adelsheim Antiquities Collection and an exhibition on the Neolithic period in the Tauber Valley. Visitors interested in history will find a range of topics here, from the Teutonic Order to the early settlement of the Tauber Valley.

Weikersheim Palace offers a different highlight. It was built around 1600 on the site of a moated castle. The dimensions of its Renaissance Knights’ Hall are particularly impressive: it is 40 metres long and 12 metres wide. Life-size animal sculptures and a cantilevered ceiling depicting hunting scenes define the hall, while the Baroque living quarters have been fully preserved. The palace also has a garden that invites visitors to stroll at their leisure. A visit lets you experience the palace’s architecture, furnishings and garden as distinct features.

Smaller towns also preserve remarkable traces of their history. The former Bettendorfsche Castle in Ahorn was built in 1566 and extensively restored in 2009. Today, it serves as the municipal administration headquarters and is considered a cultural monument of particular significance. In Berolzheim, the local history museum is one of the sights in the municipality of Ahorn; in Schillingstadt, the Refugium with its oriental garden is also among the municipality’s attractions. These examples are a reason to include different towns and their own sights in your travel plans, alongside the better-known castles.

Monastery, wine and more to discover

Bronnbach Monastery is a former Cistercian monastery in the Main-Tauber District. The Bronnbach Kultouren programme includes concerts, readings, exhibitions, wine and culinary events, as well as lectures. Its offerings range from musical and literary events to subjects related to wine and fine food. Wine tastings can be booked at the Taubertal Vinothek in the monastery. More than 20 winemakers and wineries present selected wines from Baden, Württemberg and Franconia there. For travellers who would like to include culture and wine in their stay, Bronnbach offers several different points of interest.

Other historic sites have their own highlights: Wertheim Castle stands high above Wertheim’s old town, at the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers; it is a stone castle ruin dating from the 13th century. The hall building at Gamburg Castle in Werbach-Gamburg dates from the 12th century and is considered unique in Europe. The Tauber-Franconian Landscape Museum is now housed in the Electoral Mainz Castle in Tauberbischofsheim. If you enjoy exploring different historical themes, you can add these places to your personal selection alongside visits to castles and museums.

The gardens of Weikersheim Palace also invite you to enjoy a more leisurely visit and stroll. Between forest paths, cycling routes, collections and historic buildings, you can weigh up the different interests you would like to pursue on your trip. Choose your base according to which of these experiences matters most to you.

Towns in the Main-Tauber District

For more information, visit the town pages: Bieberehren, Grünsfeld, Freudenberg am Main, Assamstadt, Kreuzwertheim, Igersheim, Boxberg, Creglingen, Schwarzenbronn, Neubrunn, Niederstetten, Lauda-Königshofen, Großrinderfeld, Tauberbischofsheim, Weikersheim, Wertheim, Külsheim, Königheim, Wittighausen, Reicholzheim, Werbach, Bad Mergentheim and Ahorn.

For the broader travel overview: Baden-Württemberg.