Discover Fulda: the Rhön, nature and culture
Accommodation in Fulda
The Rhön gives the district of Fulda a distinctive nature theme; the Hochrhöner®, the Hessian Rhön Nature Park and the recognition of the cross-state Rhön region as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve are all part of the wider regional setting. The Kultursommer Main-Kinzig-Fulda festival provides a cultural focus. Which aspect of your trip takes centre stage depends on whether you want to focus on the landscape or on a specific event date.
Der Fuldaer Dom mit dem Domplatz steht exemplarisch für das barocke Stadtbild der Kreisstadt.
Photo: Steffen Schmitz ( more photos ) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Rhön: hiking, cycling and high ridges
The Rhön offers opportunities for hiking and cycling in the district of Fulda. The Wasserkuppe is the highest mountain in Hesse and is one of the district’s notable landmarks. This gives you a landscape suited to two different activities, as well as a clearly identified high point to consider when planning your trip.
In the wider regional area, the premium hiking trail Hochrhöner® crosses open ridges with far-reaching views. In the wider regional area, the Hessian Rhön Nature Park was designated in 1962; in 1991, the cross-state Rhön region was recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. These two dates refer to different designations: that of the nature park and UNESCO recognition of the region.
Experience nature and learn more about the Rhön
The work of the Rhön Biosphere Reserve enriches the educational landscape in the district of Fulda. This includes Junior and Senior Ranger activities, the certification of biosphere schools and daycare centres, and hundreds of events each year. These include nature and adventure tours as well as markets. The nature theme therefore encompasses not only outdoor activities, but also educational programs and events.
In the wider Rhön area, the Rhön Biosphere Reserve offers visitors ranger-guided tours and excursions focusing on flora, fauna and the cultural landscape; the reserve also runs citizen science projects that the public can take part in. Individual events, dates and projects may change. Check in advance what is taking place during your preferred travel dates and how to participate.
Culture with a variety of focuses
The Kultursommer Main-Kinzig-Fulda has been held for more than 27 years. The festival supports more than 100 events in music, theatre, art exhibitions, literature and other fields. The range of disciplines offers different cultural options for planning your trip: you can focus on the themes that interest you most.
The venues are spread across the Main-Kinzig district and the district of Fulda. So if a particular event is going to shape your day, check its date and venue before planning around it.
Traces of the past and regional food
In the municipality of Hofbieber, at the foot of the Milseburg near the village of Danzwiesen, are the remains of a ring wall, considered evidence of early Celtic settlement. In Poppenhausen (Wasserkuppe), the Sieblos Museum displays a variety of fossil finds from the Rhön and offers insight into the work of local fossil collector Hugo Schubert. These two subjects offer different perspectives on the region: early settlement and geological history. If you plan to make the museum a fixed stop, check current visiting arrangements.
Regional food is also part of the Rhön theme. The Rhön quality seal “Quality of the Biosphere Reserve! The Rhön” is awarded to locally produced food from value chains that are aligned with the goals of the Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. If local production matters to you, the seal offers a specific criterion to guide your choices.
When looking for a holiday apartment, use the reason for your trip as your starting point: should the Rhön, with its hiking and cycling opportunities, shape your stay, or is a particular Kultursommer event the deciding factor? If you are attending an event, include the specific venue in your plans, since the venues are spread across two districts.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Dipperz, Hünfeld, Schenklengsfeld, Petersberg, Neuhof, Künzell, Hofbieber, Hilders, Eichenzell, Bad Salzschlirf, Fulda, Nüsttal, Tann, Ebersburg, Kalbach, Haselstein, Ehrenberg, Gersfeld, Hosenfeld, Großenlüder, Flieden, Burghaun, Poppenhausen, Eiterfeld, Rasdorf.
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