Herleshausen

Discover border history and collections

WerraGrenzPark presents the history of the former border town in a variety of ways. Information boards and picture and text panels provide information to read, while audiovisual stations offer additional ways to engage with it. This lets you explore the historic site on your own, deciding how much time to spend at each station.

The “Grenzbahnhof für Zeitgeschichte” (Border Station for Contemporary History) museum at Herleshausen station offers a different perspective on local history. It opened over the weekend of 10 and 11 October 2015. The INSEL · DOKTOR · HAUS also tells the story of its own collection: a wide range of objects and rarities from medicine, pharmacy and folklore are on display there. The Dr. Marsch family from Herleshausen assembled this collection over three generations. Anyone interested in everyday life and the history of medicine will find a thematic contrast to the park’s border history here.

Augustenau Castle and the castle church

Augustenau Castle and the Protestant castle church also give Herleshausen historical depth. The castle was built in 1539 as the residence of Georg von Reckrodt. The castle church, built around 1300 as a fortified church, stands right next to it. Its history can be read in its surviving furnishings: the church contains 14th-century frescoes, as well as inscribed and heraldic tombstones from the 16th and 17th centuries. These include the 1558 epitaph of the knight Georg von Reckrodt.

Since Easter 2018, the castle church has been a church on a cycle route. This offers another point of interest for cycle tourists during their stay; at the same time, the church’s frescoes and tombstones will appeal to those interested in cultural history. The castle and church are easy to consider together, as they stand directly next to each other. Here, two different historical traces meet in one place: the construction of the fortified church around 1300 and the castle dating from 1539.

Hiking, cycling and the Werra

If you like to spend your time outdoors, Herleshausen has 35 kilometres of marked hiking trails. The Green Belt Hesse National Natural Monument is also near Herleshausen, giving the landscape a distinctive historical and natural context. Hiking and exploring the history of the former border town can provide different focuses for your holiday days.

Canoeing on the Werra is another listed leisure activity available in Herleshausen. This gives you a choice of different ways to experience the area: hiking, cycling and canoeing. When choosing a holiday apartment in Herleshausen, you could first consider whether you would like to connect your trip with marked hiking trails, the Werra Valley Cycle Route, border history or a canoe trip. This reflects your interests during your stay without assuming anything about a particular accommodation or its amenities.

Herleshausen can be reached by Deutsche Bahn for the section of the Werra Valley Cycle Route from Herleshausen to Treffurt. If you would like to include this section of the cycle route in your trip, you can consider travelling by train as part of your plans. This information does not give specific journey times; it simply identifies the train as one way to reach Herleshausen for this section.

Local life and further discoveries

A local tradition is the Kirmes, a village festival organised by the village’s young people for generations. This offers a different way to experience the town than its historical sites and outdoor activities: the focus here is a local event tradition passed down over generations. Which of these aspects interests you most can help guide your search for a suitable holiday apartment in Herleshausen—whether cultural history, active days outdoors or the experience of the Werra.

If you would like to discover more places in this overview: Neu-Eichenberg, Großalmerode, Waldkappel, Witzenhausen, Datterode, Eschwege, Rommerode and Wehretal.

For the broader travel overview: Werra-Meißner-Kreis.