Lollar: Churches, Industrial Heritage and Excursions

Churches and Architectural History

Odenhausen is home to the Protestant Church, a Romanesque building dating from around the 11th century. It is the oldest building in the town and one of the oldest churches in the district of Gießen. Different periods of construction can be distinguished: the eastern polygonal choir dates from the 15th century, while the Baroque roof turret dates from the 18th century. The church’s approximate date and later additions give it a layered architectural history.

The church in Salzböden has a different historic function. It was built in the 13th century as a fortified tower and served both religious and defensive purposes. In Ruttershausen, a Late Gothic hall church stands on the Kirchberg, east of the Lahn, and is considered the town’s main attraction. Visitors interested in churches will find a range of architectural styles and stories in Lollar: a Romanesque building with later additions, a fortified tower with a dual purpose and a Late Gothic hall church.

Industrial Heritage in the Town Centre

The town centre also tells the story of Lollar’s industrial history. The blast-furnace charging tower built by Buderus is a preserved industrial monument and a remnant of a blast furnace. Locally, it is known as the “water tower.” The name and the actual designation point to two different aspects of the structure: its familiar local name and its connection to the blast-furnace complex.

The iron-casting tradition is represented by the iron founders’ monument: the sculptor Walter Schubert created the work, and it was cast by the Buderus company. Another place to visit is the Schmaadlecker Fountain, which you can see in front of the Art Nouveau building that once housed the pharmacy. These examples highlight different things—a preserved industrial monument, a cast-iron artwork and a fountain in front of a former pharmacy building. They offer points of interest for a visit that takes in not only churches but also the town’s industrial and design history.

Countryside and Activities

In good weather, the distant view from the Altenberg in Odenhausen reaches as far as the Vogelsberg and the Gladenbach Uplands, as well as the university towns of Gießen and Marburg. The panorama thus brings several different destinations into view.

For activities on the water, you can take guided boat trips from Lollar with Loganatours. Kayaks, canoes, paddle boats and pedal boats are also available to hire there. If you would like to include these activities in your stay, you can take the kind of holiday you are planning into account when choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home; the boat trips and the different types of boats for hire offer a range of ways to enjoy the water.

Another place to visit is the Schmelz-Mühle in the Salzböden district, which has a beer garden close to nature. In Ruttershausen, there is a barbecue hut with a barbecue area at the edge of the forest; it can accommodate up to 30 people. These are two different kinds of destinations: the Schmelz-Mühle as a place to visit with a beer garden, and the barbecue hut as a venue with a stated group capacity. Friedelhausen Castle and its estate are located in the hamlet of Friedelhausen, which belongs to the Odenhausen district of the town of Lollar. It lies on the Lahn between Marburg and Gießen, near Fronhausen-Sichertshausen and Lollar-Odenhausen.

For your stay, you can weigh up different interests, such as historic buildings, industrial monuments, the distant view from the Altenberg, or activities and places to visit. If you would like to compare more places as you plan your holiday: Laubach, Linden, Buseck, Lich, Pohlheim, Heuchelheim, Rabenau and Gießen.

Back to the main travel overview: Gießen.