Hochtaunus: Limes, Castles and Trails

Roman Traces and Castle History

The Hochtaunus Limes adventure trail follows the route of the Limes hiking trail and the Limes cycle route. Stretching for more than 30 kilometres, it runs from Glashütten to Ober-Mörlen. The route gives the Limes a concrete place in your travel plans and appeals to travellers interested in Roman history. At the Saalburg, guided tours cover the interior of the fort, the outer vicus and the Limes. The “extra muros” tour focuses on the vicus and the area outside the fort, including the fort baths, hostel, defensive earthworks and the Limes.

Kronberg Castle also combines history with a striking location: it stands on a rocky spur on the southern slope of the Taunus and was probably built in the 12th century as an imperial castle on Hohenstaufen crown lands. Since 2008, the Kronberg Castle Museum has had a permanent exhibition on the castle’s history in the north wing of the middle castle. Important for your visit: the museum and interiors can only be viewed as part of a guided tour. The nearly 44-metre-high free-standing tower offers wide-ranging views over the surrounding area; on a clear day, they extend as far as the Spessart and Odenwald.

Discovering the World of Earlier Times Together

At the Hessenpark Open-Air Museum, a family trail shows children and adults together how people used to live and work. The focus here is therefore not only on looking at historic buildings, but also on everyday life in the past. Bus route 63 connects Wehrheim and Neu-Anspach/Anspach station with the Neu-Anspach/Anspach Hessenpark stop. Right by the museum, there are six e-bike charging stations and a bicycle service station where you can carry out minor repairs and maintenance yourself.

The Opel Zoo’s petting zoo offers a different animal experience to enjoy together: visitors can touch and pet the domestic animals and feed them with food available at the zoo. The zoo’s educational programme, delivered by qualified biologists and educators, teaches visitors about animals, species conservation and nature conservation. It can be booked individually, is suitable as a supplement to school lessons or as a shared leisure activity, and requires an appointment.

Trails for Different Distances

For a short walk, the Windeck health-climate trail (WE2) is one option: this easy circular trail is 3.33 kilometres long and starts and finishes at the Windeck car park in Königstein im Taunus. It runs mostly sheltered from the wind and sun around the Großer Feldberg, the highest mountain in the Taunus. For a longer route, consider the Weiltal trail. It starts near the source of the Weil at the “Rotes Kreuz” car park near Schmitten, follows the Weil through Weilrod and runs for a total of 47.5 kilometres to Weilburg on the Lahn. The trails differ both in length and in that the Windeck trail is a circular route, while the Weiltal trail leads to Weilburg.

The Hochtaunus health-climate park covers around 20 square kilometres and extends across Schmitten im Taunus, Glashütten, Königstein im Taunus, Kronberg im Taunus and Oberursel (Taunus). It has 12 portals and nearly 30 trails to help you find your way around. The Hochtaunuskreis Jubilee Trail offers another connection between culture and landscape: it was created in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Hochtaunuskreis and combines cultural and historical attractions with views of nature. The Vortaunus Museum in Oberursel offers a different museum experience; it opened as a modern regional museum in summer 1987 after extensive renovation work.

Discover More Places in Hochtaunus

You can also explore these places when looking for a suitable base: Usingen, Friedrichsdorf, Neu-Anspach, Kronberg, Grävenwiesbach, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Weilrod, Königstein im Taunus, Glashütten, Oberursel, Steinbach, Schmitten and Wehrheim.

For the broader travel overview: Hesse.