Messel: The Mine, Fossils and Half-Timbered Houses
Accommodation in Messel
Messel combines an exceptional fossil history with hiking trails and a historic town centre. In 1995, the Messel Pit was named Germany’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site for natural heritage. At the Fossil and Local History Museum, on the grounds of the pit and along the various trails, you can discover different sides of the town. Which of these you choose to focus on may also influence your choice of a holiday apartment in Messel.
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Photo: josef knecht via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Fossils from a long-vanished world
The Messel Fossil and Local History Museum provides information about exceptionally well-preserved fossils, 48 million years old, from lake deposits, as well as the living conditions of that time. Selected exhibits, particularly fossils, are accompanied by spoken explanations that you can access on your smartphone. Written explanations beside the exhibits offer another way to learn about the items on display. The Messel Pit fossil site is unique in the preservation, quantity and diversity of its finds.
A view into the pit is another of the experiences available on site: there is an observation platform on the grounds, offering a view into the pit. The freely accessible outdoor area invites you to marvel, play and linger. The “Zeit und Messelwelten” visitor centre serves as the northern gateway to the Bergstraße-Odenwald UNESCO Global Geopark. The museum, observation platform and outdoor area each offer a different focus—from the exhibits and their explanations to the view into the fossil site.
Historic town centre and hiking trails
The protected Historic Town Centre offers another side of Messel. The listed ensemble mainly comprises buildings lining both sides of Bruchgasse, Langgasse, Hanauer Straße and Holzhäusergasse. Gable-fronted, two-storey half-timbered houses, farmsteads, sandstone posts and steep, red-tiled gable roofs shape the streetscapes. The settlement structure can be traced back to the Carolingian period. If you are interested in local history and architectural styles, you will find a different focus here than on the trails around the pit.
For a longer hike, the 15.2 km Kranichsteiner Waldweg is an easy walk from the Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site through the Kranichstein Forest to Kranichstein Hunting Lodge. The 14.8 km Mörsbacher Grund Loop is very easy and runs through extensive forests, meadows and small ponds. Along the way are the fossil museum in Messel, a landgrave’s hunting pavilion and burial mounds.
The 11 km Urpferdchen Trail is an easy circular hike around the Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site. It passes the Messel Local History Museum and spoil heaps, following in the footsteps of the early horse. Nearby, the 15.4 km Ölschiefer-Weg is also an easy trail, with a gentle gradient through the woods south of the Messel Pit. Along the way, it passes the Naturfreundehaus and a swimming lake. The different distances and routes offer practical guidance when planning your hiking days.
Information to help plan your stay
Parking for hikes around the Messel Pit is available at the Messel Pit Visitor Centre, Roßdörfer Straße 108, 64409 Messel. The Messel Pit Visitor Centre bus stop is also located there. This information can help you choose a starting point for a hike around the pit. When choosing accommodation, you can consider whether you would prefer to focus your stay on fossil history, the historic town centre or the hiking trails.
More town pages: Griesheim, Roßdorf, Bickenbach, Weiterstadt, Darmstadt, Erzhausen, Groß-Bieberau, Dieburg.
Back to the overview of the wider area: Darmstadt-Dieburg.
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