Discover Rhön nature and trails in Hilders
Accommodation in Hilders
Hilders is located in the heart of the Rhön Biosphere Reserve and the Hessian Rhön Nature Park. Explore the landscape on short themed trails, longer hikes and bike rides. You’ll also find sweeping views and insights into the history of the town centre. When planning your holiday, consider not only which activities you’d like to enjoy, but also whether you want to use Hilders as a base for local trails or for longer hikes in the Rhön.
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Photo: Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Panoramic views from Buchschirm
Buchschirm is Hilders’ local mountain. At 746 metres, it is home to the “Krone” viewing platform, which offers 360° panoramic views across the Hochrhön and Ulster Valley, stretching far into Thuringia. If you enjoy taking in the landscape from above, this is a distinctive place to visit. Buchschirm is also home to the Ulstertal Star Cinema, with a special reclining bench for observing the night sky. The views and stargazing offer two different ways to experience the place.
Hiking trails with different highlights
The bird trail in Ritterschlucht is around 3 kilometres long, with 14 information boards about local birdlife. QR codes let you listen to the calls of the different birds directly. The trail combines information along the route with sounds from nature. If you enjoy learning more about nature on a shared outing, you can include the information boards and bird calls in your route plans.
Another short walk is the Rhön Circular Trail 1, “Ulster & Fish Nature Trail”. This easy loop is 3 kilometres long; it takes about an hour to walk and has an elevation difference of 27 metres. It starts at the Hilders community centre and follows the Ulster and the Fish Nature Trail via Sandenhof before returning to Hilders. This gives you specific details on distance, walking time and elevation to help plan your day. Unlike the bird trail, this route follows the Ulster and the Fish Nature Trail.
Longer hikes can also be started from Hilders: several marked access trails connect the town directly to the HOCHRHÖNER® long-distance hiking trail. You can start or continue your long-distance hiking experience from Hilders. The hiking bus also takes visitors to selected trailheads, from where you can hike back along a route of your choice. This gives you different options for planning a hike: a loop starting and ending in Hilders, or a hike that begins at a selected trailhead.
Cycling route and local history
The Milseburg Cycle Path runs between Hilders and Fulda through the landscape, along the former Rhön Railway line. It offers a distinct way to explore the surrounding area by bike. If you enjoy dividing your holiday between hiking and cycling, you can take both ways of discovering the Rhön into account when choosing your trip duration and planning each day.
In the town centre, the Hilders Historical Trail takes you past historic buildings, former inns, mills, churches and other notable places linked to the town’s development. The route highlights a range of traces of local history. Another historic destination is the ruin of Auersburg Castle on the southern slope of Auersberg: the historic ring-wall complex was probably built around or after 1350 and is now a popular destination for hikers and day-trippers.
Discover more places
Ehrenberg, Dipperz, Nüsttal, Schenklengsfeld, Hofbieber, Bad Salzschlirf, Poppenhausen, Kalbach.
For the main travel overview: Fulda.
