Stadtallendorf offers several distinct themes for a stay: architectural history, places of remembrance, protected landscapes and signposted trails. Destinations range from the Baroque Church of St. Catherine and Schweinsberg Castle to the Schweinsberger Moor and the hiking trails in the Herrenwald.
Churches, Castle and Public Art
Construction of the new Baroque Church of St. Catherine began in 1732; the first service was held there in 1735. In Niederklein, the fortified Church of St. Blaise and St. Elizabeth, with a machicolation on its tower, loopholes and a strong wall around the churchyard, is a clear example of a fortified church. The gates in the wall have been bricked up.
The Hexenturm, a small outer bailey, the entire outer enceinte wall and large sections of the inner enceinte wall have survived at Schweinsberg Castle. Because of its radical redesign, the castle is now considered more an important example of Romanticism and early Historicism than a late medieval castle. Since April 22, 2013, faithful casts of larger-than-life Baroque statues in Hatzbach have commemorated the virtues of faith, love, hope, justice and temperance.
Moor and Protected Landscapes
The Schweinsberger Moor covers 43.2 hectares. When it was designated a nature reserve in 1977, it became Hesse’s 100th nature reserve. Rare bird species such as the snipe and marsh harrier live and breed there; their presence may vary seasonally.
The Herrenwald is also designated as a Natura 2000 site under the Habitats Directive (FFH) and serves to preserve biodiversity as a protected habitat for animals and plants. Nature and history meet along different trails, without necessarily having the same themes at their center.
Hiking Trails with Different Themes
The Hatzbach Legends Trail is an 8.8-kilometer circular route with only minor elevation changes. It leads to twelve settings from old Hatzbach legends; a small sign at each location tells the story. The signage makes it possible to follow the circular trail without a map.
By contrast, forest and industrial history shape the theme of the Forster Weg circular trail: hidden bunkers and remnants of the former explosives factories lie among the trees. The trail leads into the Herrenwald. Wooden signs also point hikers to the “Riesenstein” hiking destination. The trails therefore differ primarily in their content: here, stations devoted to legends; there, traces of the former factories in the forest.
The Mariengrotte Stadtallendorf lies at the upper end of a long sunken lane. The lane is part of the Forster Weg, which runs from the old town to the Forstkapelle in the Herrenwald. Services have been held regularly for many years at the “Mariabild” Forstkapelle; no current event date is associated with this information. Stadtallendorf is also a stage location on the Jakobsweg and Elisabethpfad pilgrimage routes.
Places of Remembrance and Visiting Information
The MĂĽnchmĂĽhle memorial was established in 1988 at the site of the former MĂĽnchmĂĽhle camp. The DIZ offers guided tours of its permanent exhibition on forced labor and the Nazi armaments industry during its regular opening hours, Tuesday to Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tours are available by appointment outside these days and hours. The DIZ also offers city tours by appointment for groups of four or more.
Heinz-Lang-Park and Getting There
Heinz-Lang-Park has event spaces, a skate plaza, wooden decks by the lake, a boules court and toilets. The Piratennest adventure playground features, among other things, a wooden shipwreck, wooden palm trees, a nest swing and other play equipment. The park brings together a range of leisure activities, while the historical sites, moorland and hiking trails each offer a focus of their own.
For travel planning, the Frankfurt–Marburg–Kassel railway line, the Main-Weser Railway, is a useful point of reference: it connects Stadtallendorf to public transport. Check the timetable for your specific journey.
Discover more destinations: Caldern, Biedenkopf, Kirchhain, Lohra, Steffenberg, Lahntal, Römershausen, Rauschenberg.
For the broader travel overview: Marburg-Biedenkopf.
