Hesse

Forests, water and varied landscapes

More than a third of Hesse consists of diverse natural landscapes. These include volcanic plateaus as well as gently rolling vineyards. A striking natural destination is Kellerwald-Edersee National Park: it is Hesse’s only national park and protects one of Central Europe’s last near-natural European beech forests. Since June 2011, it has been part of the transnational UNESCO World Natural Heritage site “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.”

Those who want to experience the landscape on foot will find an extensive network of hiking trails in Hesse, along with cycling routes and waterways suitable for canoeing. The 68-kilometre Urwaldsteig trail runs through Kellerwald-Edersee National Park. Clearings offer views of Lake Edersee. You can also explore nature trails in the national park, with or without a guide; the Kellerwald National Park Centre provides information about the area’s flora and fauna. This is a way to discover nature both on a longer hike and at individual themed stops.

World Heritage and historic sites

Hesse also offers distinctive destinations for cultural trips. Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is Europe’s largest hillside park, covering 560 hectares. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Its remarkable history includes the historic water features, which still function as originally intended. The park therefore combines a vast landscape with a feature of technical and cultural history. Those interested in historic gardens and estates can pair this visit with other cultural destinations in Hesse, without having to choose a single focus for their entire trip.

Another UNESCO heritage site is Lorsch Abbey. Together with the nearby Altenmünster monastery, it received Hesse’s first World Heritage designation; the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s certificate is dated 13 December 1991. Guided tours of the former imperial abbey are available to visitors. The attractions open to visitors include the abbey grounds with the King’s Hall, a church fragment and herb garden; the associated Altenmünster monastery; the Zehntscheune exhibition depot; the museum centre; and the Lauresham open-air laboratory. The different sites offer various ways to explore history, monastic life and archaeological topics.

In Darmstadt, Mathildenhöhe was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2021. The ensemble comprises the Wedding Tower, the exhibition building, the Artists’ Colony Museum, the Plane Tree Grove and the artists’ houses. A visit can therefore focus on architecture, art and the design of a cohesive ensemble. The Messel Pit also offers an unusual glimpse into the past: it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 and documents changes in animal and plant life up to 48 million years ago. Original finds can be viewed in the permanent exhibition at the associated “Time and Messel Worlds” visitor centre.

Hesse’s historic destinations also include the Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes and the Saalburg. In Hesse, the Limes comprises 145 kilometres of land route and 10 kilometres of water route. The Saalburg, near Bad Homburg in the Taunus, is a reconstruction of a fort on the Limes; public guided tours take place there on weekends and public holidays. The State Palaces and Gardens of Hesse oversees a total of 48 sites of historic cultural monuments owned by the state, including palaces, castles, monasteries, gardens and parks.

Cycling routes and regional orientation

There are various routes to choose from for cycling trips. The Hessian Long-Distance Cycle Route R2, the Rivers Tour, is 202 kilometres long within Hesse and crosses the state along the rivers Ohm, Antreff, Schwalm, Lauter, Lüder, Fulda and Sinn. The Fulda Cycle Route R1 is a 255-kilometre quality route, awarded four stars according to ADFC criteria. It runs from the heights of the Rhön into the lowlands and is also recommended for inexperienced cyclists and families. While the full route covers 255 kilometres, the route planner lists 239 kilometres within Hesse. These figures can help you take route length into account when choosing the focus of your cycling trip.

In addition to Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance trains, Hesse has a well-developed network of local transport services. The Hessen-Ticket allows up to five people to travel throughout the state. If you arrive via Frankfurt Airport, the regional train station offers regular connections to Frankfurt Central Station; the journey takes 15 minutes. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can therefore start by considering whether you want to base your trip primarily around a particular cultural landscape, nature experiences or a cycling route. The right regional focus depends on these interests, not on a single type of experience across all of Hesse.

Hesse consists of 10 regions, each with its own contrasts, cultural features and traditions. To explore further, you can discover the individual areas: Schwalm-Eder DistrictSchwalm-Eder DistrictSchwalm-Eder District, Waldeck-FrankenbergWaldeck-FrankenbergWaldeck-Frankenberg, Hersfeld-RotenburgHersfeld-RotenburgHersfeld-Rotenburg, FuldaFuldaFulda, Marburg-BiedenkopfMarburg-BiedenkopfMarburg-Biedenkopf, VogelsbergVogelsbergVogelsberg, GießenGießenGießen, Lahn-Dill DistrictLahn-Dill DistrictLahn-Dill District, Limburg-WeilburgLimburg-WeilburgLimburg-Weilburg, Rheingau-Taunus DistrictRheingau-Taunus DistrictRheingau-Taunus District, HochtaunusHochtaunusHochtaunus, Main-TaunusMain-TaunusMain-Taunus, WiesbadenWiesbadenWiesbaden, Main-Kinzig DistrictMain-Kinzig DistrictMain-Kinzig District, OffenbachOffenbachOffenbach, Groß-GerauGroß-GerauGroß-Gerau, Darmstadt-DieburgDarmstadt-DieburgDarmstadt-Dieburg, WetterauWetterauWetterau, BergstraßeBergstraßeBergstraße, OdenwaldOdenwaldOdenwald, Frankfurt am MainFrankfurt am MainFrankfurt am Main, Hessian HighlandsHessian HighlandsHessian Highlands, KasselKasselKassel and Werra-Meißner DistrictWerra-Meißner DistrictWerra-Meißner District.

For the broader travel overview: Germany.