Hatzfeld (Eder)

Castle, hill and half-timbered architecture

The ruins of medieval Hatzfeld Castle stand high above the Eder Valley. Built in the 13th century as a spur castle, it was the ancestral seat of the Lords of Hatzfeld, who were first mentioned in 1138. The castle thus connects a specific place with a family history stretching far back in time. The term “spur castle” describes its position on a projecting spur of land.

St. John’s Town Church stands halfway up the castle hill. The Counts of Hatzfeld built it in the style of a Gothic half-timbered church. The castle and church lend different architectural accents to the town’s history. You will find another half-timbered church in Hatzfeld-Lindenhof: it is considered the smallest church in Hesse.

The Emmaus Chapel now serves as a cemetery chapel; several concerts are held there each year. If you would like to pair your trip with a concert, check the dates for your visit.

Cultural landscape and the Eder

The panoramic trail passes through the pollarded forest, an old cultural landscape. On both sides of the path, the hornbeams were regularly cut back to the stump in the 19th century. The former use of the forest can be seen here in a specific management practice: the trail runs not only through a named landscape, but through an area whose character is linked to this historical use.

At the lower end of the former castle moat, on the slope above Hatzfeld, lies the Hatzfeld Castle Moat Information Center. The center includes a hillside garden with terraced beds, an uncovered old dry-stone wall, an uncovered entrance to an old mine and a resting place for hikers and walkers.

A 800-meter stretch of the Eder in Hatzfeld runs from the inlet of the operating channel of the H & V company (Sonsenbach inlet) to the start of the Eder bridge. If you plan to fish, eligibility and any required permits are subject to the operator’s current rules.

Explore the history of writing

The Studio for Calligraphy and Heraldry displays writing instruments, writing materials and texts from various centuries. The exhibition explores more than 2,000 years of writing history. Two tour formats offer different focuses: the approximately one-hour tour covers 2,000 years of writing history; for the approximately one-and-a-half-hour tour, you choose an individual focus from a range of centuries and topics. This lets you choose between a shorter overview and a longer tour focused on a topic of your choice. Check current visitor arrangements and tour availability before planning your visit.

Waldeck-Frankenberg: a broader perspective

When choosing where to stay, it helps to decide what you want to focus on: would you like to explore Hatzfeld’s castle and half-timbered history alongside its local cultural landscape, or include other themes from the wider travel destination of Waldeck-Frankenberg? The ancient beech forests of Kellerwald-Edersee National Park have been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 2011.

The 66-kilometer Urwaldsteig Edersee trail is also in the wider travel destination of Waldeck-Frankenberg. You can hike it in eight stages or join a three-day ranger-led hike, with each stage covering around 22 kilometers. The Kellerwald National Park Center in Vöhl-Herzhausen on Lake Edersee offers another way to experience wilderness: its interactive exhibition features exhibits on the wilderness of the Kellerwald, while a 4D sensory film explores its wilderness and wildlife. These regional themes offer a broader complement to Hatzfeld’s local history and landscape.

Choose a holiday apartment based on whether you are mainly interested in Hatzfeld’s local themes or want a broader focus on the wider travel destination of Waldeck-Frankenberg.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Holzhausen, Diemelsee, Korbach, Vöhl, Gemünden, Frankenau, Frankenberg, Bad Wildungen

Back to the broader travel overview: Waldeck-Frankenberg.