Hirschhorn (Neckar): History, Castle and Cycling Routes
Accommodation in Hirschhorn on the Neckar
Hirschhorn (Neckar) combines a long history as a town with traces of the past at its chapel, castle and town walls. Ersheim was first mentioned in a document in 773; at Ersheim Chapel, frescoes and knights’ graves meet the seasonal presence of bats. Two cycling routes with very different total lengths also pass through Hirschhorn. When choosing where to stay, you can give different weight to cultural history and cycling.
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Photo: Roman Eisele via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
History and special features in Ersheim
Ersheim was mentioned in a document in 773 as a donation to Lorsch Abbey; it is Hirschhorn’s oldest district. This early mention provides a specific medieval reference point in the town’s history. Ersheim Chapel complements it with several distinctive examples of art and history.
Frescoes adorn the central nave, the oldest part of the chapel, which dates to around 1355. The chapel also contains medieval tombs of the Hirschhorn knights. Other notable features include a Late Gothic depiction of the Mount of Olives with figures and the Elendstein, a death lantern donated in 1412. In summer, there is also a chance to observe nature: around 800 female greater mouse-eared bats raise their young beneath the roof timbers. The chapel thus brings together medieval features and a seasonal natural attraction.
Castle, town walls and culture
Hirschhorn Castle was built in the mid-13th century. Surviving window remains show both Romanesque round arches and Gothic pointed arches. These different forms add a specific architectural detail to the history of the building. The recently restored castle chapel is a venue for civil wedding ceremonies. High-water marks can also be seen at various points along the town walls and on the houses behind them. The Langbein Museum has also received several awards.
Concerts are regularly held in the Carmelite Monastery Church and in the monastery courtyard and/or chapter house. Most of the proceeds go towards maintaining the monastery church. If you would like to plan a concert visit, check the latest dates before travelling.
Two cycling routes, two distances
The Neckar Valley Cycle Route runs for 77 kilometres from Neckargemünd via Hirschhorn to Bad Wimpfen. The ADFC awarded this route four stars. At 410 kilometres, the Castle Road Cycle Route is considerably longer and runs from Mannheim via Hirschhorn to Bayreuth. Both routes pass through Hirschhorn; their total lengths make it easy to compare the overall scale of the routes, without saying anything about the individual section here. This gives you a specific cycling theme to consider when planning your holiday, whether you prefer the shorter overall route or the longer one.
The Bergstraße as a wider setting
In the broader destination of Bergstraße, gentle vineyards meet the Odenwald in the Bergstraße district. Riesling is the typical white wine grape of the Bergstraße, while Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) dominates among red wines. Visitors can sample Roter Riesling and other Bergstraße specialities directly from producers, in wine taverns or at wine festivals. In Heppenheim, the “Wein & Stein” experience trail adds to the regional selection: it is around 6.9 kilometres long and has around 70 information stations. Thus, in the wider Bergstraße region, wine and regional specialities are options in their own right alongside nature and hiking trails.
Discover more destinations: Einhausen, Gorxheimertal, Wald-Michelbach, Bürstadt, Groß-Rohrheim, Fürth, Heppenheim, Lorsch.
Go to the broader travel overview: Bergstraße.
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