A choir tower with battlements and embrasures, the sourdough bread tradition in two bakehouses, and recurring annual celebrations give Mardorf a multifaceted cultural profile. The parish church of St. Hubertus tells the story of several building phases; cycling and hiking options can be distinguished by their respective routes and focus.
St. Hubertus: Fortified Tower and Baroque Nave
The Baroque nave of the parish church of St. Hubertus dates from 1713 to 1722. The surviving choir tower is considerably older: it dates back to the 13th century and was converted into a fortified tower around 1400–1420. It still features machicolations, battlements and embrasures. The different building phases make the development of church architecture easy to follow: the Baroque nave followed the medieval tower, while its conversion into a defensive structure added another layer.
The wall paintings in the choir tower chapel also date from the Middle Ages. Together with the medieval fortified tower, the historic churchyard formed an enclosed complex protected by walls. The building, interior furnishings and fortifications thus represent different aspects of the history of St. Hubertus.
Annual Celebrations and a Living Baking Tradition
The Corpus Christi procession still takes place every year in Mardorf. It is considered particularly elaborate and outstanding, and attracts many visitors from outside the area. Another recurring event is the Erfurtshausen Easter Egg Market: it has been held at the Mardorf community centre on the weekend before Easter for more than 40 years. The market includes special exhibitions that change each year. As its date depends on the Easter weekend, it is advisable to check the date when planning your trip.
The Mardorf Bakehouse Association (Backhausgemeinschaft Mardorf e.V.) preserves the living tradition of baking sourdough bread in Mardorf’s two bakehouses and passes on the associated knowledge. You can also sign up with the association for a bread-baking course, where you will learn the art of making sourdough bread. If you would like to include the course in your stay, confirm the specific date in advance.
Another local point of interest is the livestock weighing station on Neue Gasse. It was converted into an information point with the help of EU funding. The bakehouses, course and information point complement the church and festival traditions with the town’s craft heritage and visitor information.
Cycle Routes and Pilgrimage Route
The Lange-Hessen Cycle Route runs through the districts of Mardorf and Roßdorf. In Mardorf, a gap of more than 700 metres was completed along a combined agricultural and cycle path. The path, which had previously had a gravel surface, was given an asphalt surface. The length and construction details refer to this section in Mardorf.
The Elisabethpfad 2 offers a different route: its official spur leads to Mardorf and is also a Way of St. James pilgrimage route. It thus connects the village with the pilgrimage tradition. The cycle route and pilgrimage trail represent different ways to incorporate routes into your travel plans.
Hiking in the Wider Amöneburg Area
The wider Amöneburg area offers several hikes with different focuses. A premium walking trail passes through the Amöneburg Nature Reserve and offers views of the Ohm Valley and the Vogelsberg. The five-kilometre Stock & Stein Geotrail circles former volcanic vents. The easy, twelve-kilometre Kreuz & Quer circular trail runs to Schweinsberger Moor, past Schweinsberg Castle and along the Ohm.
The Geotrail and Kreuz & Quer differ both in length and in the destinations described: the former focuses on former volcanic vents, while the latter takes in the moor, castle and Ohm. If you are planning hikes, you can choose between a shorter route focused on geology and a longer circular trail with several named stops.
For the wider travel overview: Amöneburg.
