Witzenhausen – Cherry Experiences and Half-Timbered Old Town

Discover cherry-growing traditions in different ways

The Cherry Experience Trail follows 17 stations through the changing cultural landscape around Witzenhausen. It explores the importance of cherries to the town and the diversity of cherry varieties. The stations bring the subject to life through playful, hands-on activities that engage all the senses. The German Cherry Pit Spitting Championships are also held each year during the Kesperkirmes cherry festival. Visitors of all ages can try their hand at long-distance cherry pit spitting—a chance to share in the cherry-growing tradition.

There are parking options in the town centre for the Cherry Experience Trail, including at the market square, on Walburger Straße, at Diebesturm and at Schlagd. If you prefer to explore on two wheels, the 22-kilometre Cherry Cycle Route loops around Witzenhausen and passes numerous cherry groves. At the Werra Valley Cycle Route in Witzenhausen, you will find bicycle parking facilities for bikes and luggage.

Old town, architectural history and town life

The historic half-timbered old town, with its town hall and magnificent half-timbered houses, is a destination in its own right. A free audio-guided tour lets you explore the old town independently using your smartphone; allow around 1 to 1.5 hours. A sculpture of Jacob Grimm stands in the market square. Diebesturm is an observation tower and is open during the summer months.

The Church of Our Lady also tells the story of different phases of construction: around 1250, it was built as a Gothic, three-aisled hall church. Before that, a late Romanesque basilica with a tall church tower stood on the site. During the church’s renovation, Hubert Distler was commissioned to design new windows in 1962. They depict Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. As a religious and cultural place, the church reflects both Witzenhausen’s history and its artistic expression.

The Witzenhausen Museum displays the ethnographic collection of DITSL. It was assembled from 1900 onwards through donations from graduates and associates of the former German Colonial School in Witzenhausen. The museum and DITSL work with academic institutions in Germany and abroad on provenance research. This adds further perspectives to the stories behind the collection’s objects and makes their contexts transparent. Those interested in the history of Jewish life can find further historical evidence at the synagogues mentioned, the Talmud school and the Jewish cemetery, which has been preserved to this day.

The Chewing Tobacco Museum gives visitors an overview of the town’s long-established chewing tobacco industry. The Capitol Kino Witzenhausen is also part of the town’s cultural life, enriching it with concerts, readings and other events.

Cherry blossom, the Werra and tropical plants

In spring, thousands of cherry trees cloak Witzenhausen and its surroundings in white and pink. Walks through blossoming orchards, over gentle hills and along the Werra are especially memorable at this time of year. The Cherry Cycle Route offers a longer, clearly defined tour around Witzenhausen; walks and cycling thus provide different ways to explore the landscape.

The Tropical Greenhouse in Witzenhausen offers a striking contrast: in a tropical setting, coffee, tea, cocoa and more than 500 other plant species from around the world grow beneath tall banana plants. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can use your preferred excursions and interests as a guide and consider which kind of stay best suits your trip. For further orientation in the area, there is also Ziegenhagen.

For the broader travel overview: Werra-Meißner District.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Waldkappel, Sontra, Herleshausen, Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Hessisch Lichtenau, Meißner, Großalmerode.