Bischoffen combines the Aartalsee with a rich mill history. During your stay, you can focus on the water, trails or historical traces in the town.
The Aartal Dam and Trails Around the Aartalsee
The Aartal Dam is located above the village of Bischoffen. In the municipality, it primarily serves to protect against flooding. Since its completion in the 1990s, it has also been a destination for recreational sports and leisure. Recreational activities include water sports enthusiasts who are members of local windsurfing, sailing and rowing clubs, members of a fishing club, and visitors to the lakeside terrace for swimming. The swimming area at the Aartalsee has a sunbathing lawn; there is no lifeguard service there.
The Aartalsee Panorama Trail starts at the large car park by the lake; walking clockwise is recommended. There are several shelters along the trail in the municipality, as well as a seating area at Hubertusplatz. The Aartalsee Cycle Route runs from Herborn in the Lahn-Dill district, past the Aartalsee to the boundary of the GieĂźen district, and continues to Bischoffen. The route information offers different guidance: for the Panorama Trail, it highlights the starting point and direction of travel, while for the cycle route, it describes the route from Herborn, past the lake and across the district boundary to Bischoffen.
Mill History and Culture in Bischoffen
There were once five mills in the village of Bischoffen, which was known as the “Village of Five Mills.” The Steinmühle, also known as the Bartmühle or Dongesmühle, and the Gellenbachmühle, also known as the Dreiländermühle, used the water power of the Aar. Pfeiffers Mühle—also known as the Obermühle or Bischoffer Mühle—the Grünewaldsmühle and the Weissbindersmühle used the water power of the Siegbach. The mills have been preserved, but are no longer operated as mills.
The Old Church is a cultural monument. The same designation applies to the Heimatmuseum “Alte Schule” (Local History Museum “Old School”) in the village of Bischoffen. Together with the mill names, these places offer further specific points of reference to the village’s history.
Culture and Nature in the Lahn-Dill District
The Lahn-Dill district has other distinct cultural and natural attractions. In Wetzlar, the Lottehaus recalls Goethe’s meeting with Charlotte Buff and the summer of 1772. Two rooms on the first floor house a permanent exhibition on the origins and impact of Goethe’s first novel, “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” Also in Wetzlar, the Optics Trail invites visitors to experiment and discover optical phenomena; its features include a walk-in kaleidoscope.
Industrial history is represented by the Grube Fortuna visitor mine and the Fortuna Field and Mine Railway Museum in Solms-Oberbiel. The visitor mine is the only anchor point in Hesse on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The museum has 50 historic field and mine railway locomotives and 100 wagons; trains operate according to a timetable. In Dillenburg, Villa GrĂĽn presents objects and detailed recreations of industrial and craft production in the Dill area across more than 20 rooms. The basement houses an elaborate, multimedia mining exhibition.
The landscape and views also add to the range of attractions in the Lahn-Dill district: The Herbstlabyrinth-Adventhöhlensystem in Breitscheid is Hesse’s largest cave system and one of the most significant in Germany. Greifenstein Castle offers spectacular views from its twin towers.
Discover more destinations: HĂĽttenberg, Leun, Herborn, Wetzlar, Solms, Driedorf, Dillenburg, Greifenstein.
See the overview of destinations in the wider area: Lahn-Dill district.
