Heringen (Werra): Werra floodplains, history and Monte Kali
Accommodation in Heringen
The Werra floodplains, memorial sites and guided tours at Monte Kali give Heringen (Werra) a range of different facets. Nature enthusiasts will find topics such as wetlands and bird habitats here; those interested in history can explore both the settlement history of Waldradeberg and the commemoration of the division of Germany. There is also a cycle route that passes through Heringen. When planning your trip, it helps to first consider which of these experiences you would like to shape your stay.
File:Heringen Germany Monte-Kali-01.jpg
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Wetlands and life in the Werra floodplain
Rohrlache is a large floodplain and wetland area close to the river in the Werra Valley, between Heringen and the districts of Leimbach and Widdershausen. Numerous bird species use it as a breeding and resting place and for foraging. Salt-dependent plant species also grow where saline water emerges. Rohrlache is therefore home to several distinctive habitat features: its floodplain landscape, its importance for birds and plants, and the influence of saline water.
Säulingssee is also part of the surrounding natural landscape. It is a nature reserve that is developing back into a wetland of particular importance for amphibians after being drained and cultivated for a period. Together, the Säulingssee and Rohrlache nature reserves near Widdershausen form important stepping stones in a chain of wetland habitats in the Werra floodplain. If you like to plan your trip around landscapes and nature, you can take these different focal points into account.
Traces of history and expansive views
Waldradeberg was described as an abandoned settlement in 1331. Whether it was settled again later is uncertain; by 1579, the village site had definitively been abandoned. The term “abandoned settlement” refers to a settlement that has been deserted, while the uncertainty about possible later resettlement remains part of the recorded history.
The Bodesruh memorial recalls another chapter in regional history: it commemorates the division of the region by the inner German border until 1989. The memorial’s observation tower offers expansive views across the Gerstungen Basin and the Werra Valley as far as the Thuringian Forest. Bodesruh thus combines a specific historical subject with sweeping views of the landscape.
Plan guided tours and cycle routes
Guided tours at Monte Kali are available on weekends from March to October: Saturdays at 12:30 and 15:00, and Sundays at 10:00 and 12:30. On public holidays in Hesse, tours are offered at 10:00, 12:30 and 15:00. Advance booking is required. As dates and booking details may change, check the provider’s latest information before your visit. The set times and required booking make this an outing that is especially easy to fit into your travel plans well in advance.
If you prefer to travel by bike, consider the 52.6-kilometre Ronshausen–Werra Valley–Seulingswald route. It starts at the Werra Potash Mining Museum and is one of the routes that pass through Heringen. The town does not guarantee the routes’ suggested course or surface conditions, so check this information before setting off. The guided tour at Monte Kali, the nature areas and the cycle route offer different ways to plan your stay, without requiring you to focus on just one travel theme.
Your priorities can also help when looking for a holiday apartment: would you like to plan around a scheduled outing, nature or cycling?
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Bebra, Hohenroda, Alheim, Ronshausen, Neuenstein, Kirchheim, Wildeck, Friedewald.
Back to the main travel guide: Hersfeld-Rotenburg.
