Between the Aulatal valley, wooded uplands and marked trails, Oberaula offers a range of ways to spend your stay: a short hike, a full-day excursion or cycling along the Rotkäppchenland Rail Trail. When choosing what to focus on, you can decide whether you’re most interested in experiencing nature on foot, taking a bike tour or exploring cultural history. The local landscapes and trail features provide a practical basis for planning.
Oberaula’s valleys and hills
The area around Oberaula is shaped by the Aulatal valley and its side valleys. It is surrounded by the wooded hills of the Knüllgebirge, which reach elevations of 500 to 600 metres. At the same time, Oberaula lies in a basin encircled by hilly, rocky landscapes. Valleys, wooded uplands and varied terrain form the setting for outdoor activities. The area also includes three small streams: Garteröder Wasser, Ostern and Hauser. If the landscape itself is the main focus of your trip, the Aulatal and Knüllgebirge offer local points of reference to help you find your way.
On foot: a short hike or a full day?
Oberaula has a well-marked and signposted network of hiking trails, as well as extensive map resources for planning your own routes. The network is suitable for both short hikes and longer day hikes, so you can choose a walk to fit your schedule. The hiking landscape is characterized by gentle slopes, wide valleys, forests and views of nature.
For a specific circular route, consider the Olberöder Wanderweg. It is 8.6 kilometres long and lies within the municipality of Oberaula. The trail is easy to walk in either direction and does not place any particular demands on your fitness. There are numerous benches along the clearly marked route. This gives you the choice of an open-ended short hike or day hike, or a circular route with a specified length.
Cycling along a former railway line
The Rotkäppchenland Rail Trail passes through Oberaula and follows a former railway line. Oberaula lies directly on the route. Its moderate gradients make it suitable for family-friendly cycling. This offers a clear alternative to hiking: a cycle route that passes through the town. When planning, you can choose between short or longer hikes on foot, or the Rail Trail, with its former railway line and moderate gradients, by bike.
Other leisure facilities and local history
Leisure facilities in the municipality of Oberaula include a reservoir with recreational areas, a water-treading pool, a woodland fitness trail and a picturesque barbecue area with a shelter. Together with the hiking and cycling network, these facilities add options for spending time by the water, getting active or having a barbecue.
Cultural heritage is also part of the townscape. The Jewish cemetery is located at the edge of Oberaula on the road towards Kirchheim. Its valuable gravestones bear witness to the once-large Jewish community. A restored organ is also among the town’s cultural and historical attractions.
Cultural highlights in the Schwalm-Eder district
Beyond Oberaula, the wider Schwalm-Eder district destination includes low mountain landscapes around the Knüll, Kellerwald and Habichtswald. For a regional look at art and crafts, the Malerstübchen Museum in Willingshausen presents art history from the 19th and 20th centuries. Its exhibits include paintings featuring Schwalm traditional dress, as well as traditional rural crafts such as whitework embroidery, knitting and spinning. Expert-led tours include talks on the artists’ colony and its artists, Schwalm customs and crafts.
The Schwalm Museum in Schwalmstadt-Ziegenhain displays the ceramics and pottery traditionally used in the region in a reconstructed pottery workshop. This lets you distinguish Oberaula’s local landscapes and hiking options from the distinct cultural attractions elsewhere in the Schwalm-Eder district.
Discover more destinations
Olberode, Homberg/Efze, Borken, Schwalmstadt, Neukirchen, Gilserberg, Niedenstein, Frielendorf
Return to the overview of the wider destination: Schwalm-Eder-Kreis.
