Since 2013, Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At 560 hectares, it is Europe’s largest hillside park; at the same time, its historic water features have been preserved in their original function to this day. Here, the scale of an expansive parkland meets a historic feature that has retained its original function. Elsewhere in Hesse, too, World Heritage sites tell very different stories – from monastic complexes to the history of nature and landscapes.
World Heritage Sites with Different Stories
Lorsch Abbey, together with the nearby mother monastery of Altenmünster, received Hesse’s first World Heritage designation. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s certificate is dated 13 December 1991. Guided tours of the former Imperial Abbey of Lorsch are available to visitors. Sights include the monastery grounds with the King’s Hall, a church fragment and herb garden, the associated Altenmünster Monastery, the Zehntscheune exhibition depot, the museum centre and the Lauresham open-air laboratory. Tour arrangements may change; check in advance for the current offerings.
Another ensemble defines Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2021. Its components include the Wedding Tower, the Exhibition Building, the Museum Künstlerkolonie, the Plane Tree Grove and the artists’ houses. The individual buildings and areas give the World Heritage site a tangible architectural setting. At the Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes, meanwhile, its extent can be expressed in figures: in Hesse, the route covers 145 kilometres on land and 10 kilometres on water.
At Messel Pit, the focus is on natural history. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 and documents changes in animal and plant life up to 48 million years ago. Original finds from the pit can be seen in the permanent exhibition at the associated visitor centre, “Time and Messel Worlds”. Check the current exhibition arrangements before your visit.
Natural Landscapes and Routes
More than a third of Hesse consists of diverse natural landscapes. These include volcanic plateaus as well as gently rolling vineyards. Hiking and cycling routes, along with waterways suitable for canoeing, offer different ways to explore these landscapes. You can choose a trip to suit your preferences: on foot, by bike or on the water.
Kellerwald-Edersee National Park is Hesse’s only national park and protects one of Central Europe’s last near-natural beech forests. Since June 2011, it has been part of the transnational UNESCO World Natural Heritage site “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”. One specific route through the park is the 68-kilometre Urwaldsteig trail. It leads to clearings with views of Lake Edersee. Taunus Nature Park offers another measure of the scale of Hesse’s landscapes: it is the state’s second-largest nature park and covers approximately 134,775 hectares.
Cycling Routes and Navigation
The long-distance cycle routes can also be distinguished by their length and course. The Hessian Long-Distance Cycle Route R2, the Rivers Tour, is 202 kilometres long within Hesse and crosses the state along the rivers Ohm, Antreff, Schwalm, Lauter, Lüder, Fulda and Sinn. For the Fulda Cycle Route R1, the route planner lists 239 kilometres in Hesse; the entire quality route is 255 kilometres long. It runs from the heights of the Rhön down to the plains and has been awarded four stars under ADFC criteria. The R1 is also recommended for less experienced cyclists and families. Comparing the two routes, the R2 has a clearly defined course along the rivers listed, while the R1 also has a total length and a stated direction in terms of elevation. Check the current route before setting out on a cycling tour.
For travel by train, Frankfurt Airport’s regional station offers regular connections to Frankfurt Central Station; the journey takes 15 minutes. As service patterns may change, it is worth checking the current connections. In addition to Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance trains, Hesse has a well-developed network of local transport services. The Hessen-Ticket allows up to five people to travel throughout the state; check the applicable ticket conditions before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Hessian Highlands, Kassel, Werra-MeiĂźner District, Schwalm-Eder District, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Fulda, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Vogelsberg, GieĂźen, Lahn-Dill District, Limburg-Weilburg, Rheingau-Taunus District, Hochtaunus, Wetterau, Main-Taunus, Wiesbaden, Main-Kinzig District, Offenbach, GroĂź-Gerau, Darmstadt-Dieburg, BergstraĂźe, Odenwald, Frankfurt am Main.
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