Herborn: Half-Timbered Houses, City History and Market Days

City history in towers and buildings

Remains of the city wall recall the town’s former fortifications. Surviving buildings include the Steinerne Pforte and the Neue Pforte (Leonhardsturm), as well as the Hexenturm, Bürgerturm, Speckturm and Dillturm. These names provide tangible points of reference for Herborn’s history: you can make individual buildings the focus of your interest without following a particular route.

The Hohe Schule is also part of Herborn’s history: Count Johann VI of Nassau-Katzenelnbogen founded it in 1584. Herborn’s residential palace was first mentioned in a document around 1350. These two historical connections illustrate different aspects of the town’s history. If you would like to explore them in more depth, you can choose the “Die Hohe Schule” guided tour. It covers the history of the Hohe Schule and takes visitors to the palace, church and town hall; the assembly hall and museum are also visited. The tour lasts around 90 minutes and can be booked at any time on request.

The Evangelical Town Church is considered possibly the oldest building in Herborn. Its interior features architectural styles ranging from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque. The “Die 1000jährige Stadtkirche” guided tour introduces architectural styles from Romanesque to Renaissance, the Gothic choir, the net vault and the princely crypt. This lets you choose between an interest in the church’s interior architecture and a tour that highlights specific historical features.

Half-timbered houses, museums and views

Historic sights in Herborn’s old town include the Alte Färberei at Mühlbach 5/7. The Älteste Wohnhaus, dating from 1445, is at Mühlgasse 5 and is also a historic sight. The town museum in the Hohe Schule explores Herborn’s history, crafts, trade and domestic life, as well as the education of former students and professors. Changing exhibitions complement the displays. Alongside the buildings, everyday life, work and education are therefore also themes to explore during a visit.

If you are interested in construction methods, the “Fachwerk Spezial” guided tour explains how to date half-timbered buildings from six centuries. It can be booked at any time on request. The “Dillblick” observation tower offers a different perspective on Herborn: from there, the view extends across Herborn, the surrounding area and the Dill Valley. Architectural history and landscape views thus offer two distinct ways to shape your stay.

Weekly market and special market days

Herborn’s weekly market takes place every Friday at Kornmarkt and Holzmarkt. The Martinimarkt is held in Herborn on the second weekend of November each year and has been mentioned since 1465. If you would like to include a market visit in your trip, these two occasions are distinct: the weekly market is part of the weekly routine, while the Martinimarkt takes place on a particular weekend in November.

Potato Sunday takes place on the second Sunday in September in Herborn’s town centre. The focus is on potato-based specialities; shops and stalls open at 12 noon, and admission is free. Together with the historical guided tours, this event offers another reason to focus a trip on regional traditions and town life.

Herborn as a destination for your holiday apartment

To choose where to stay, it helps to decide what matters most to you: would you mainly like to explore historic buildings and take guided tours, are you interested in the view from the “Dillblick” tower, or are you planning to visit a market? These interests offer different reasons to visit Herborn. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can choose Herborn as your search destination and plan your trip around the aspects of the town you would like to discover.

More places to discover for yourself: Waldsolms, Driedorf, Dillenburg, Mittenaar, Braunfels, Leun, Bischoffen and Hüttenberg.

Back to the wider travel overview: Lahn-Dill District.